The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a union territory of India. They are located in the Indian Ocean, in the southern reaches of the Bay of Bengal. The Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands are separated by the 10° N parallel, the Andamans lying to the north, and the Nicobars to the south. The capital of this territory is the city of Port Blair.

Name

The name Andaman comes from Handuman which is Malay for the Hindu god Hanuman. The name Nicobar is Malay for land of the naked (people).

History

The islands were captured by the Marathas in the 17th century. The British occupied it until the Japanese took over during World War II. The islands were nominally put under the authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Netaji visited the islands during the war, and renamed them as "Shaheed" (Martyr) & "Swaraj" (Self-rule). General Loganathan, of the Indian National Army was Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands .

It became an Indian territory with India's independence in 1947.

The British used the islands as an isolated prison for members of the Indian independence movement. The mode of imprisonment was called Kalapani. The Cellular Jail in Port Blair was regarded as the "Siberia" of British India.

On 26 December 2004 the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 metre high tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At least 7,000 people (possibly a conservative estimate) were believed to have been killed on the Nicobar and Andaman Islands during the disaster.

While newer settlers of the islands suffered the greatest casualties from the tsunami, most of the aboriginal people survived because oral traditions passed down from generations ago warned them to evacuate from large waves that follow large earthquakes. [1]

See also

• 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in India
• Andaman Islands
• Nicobar Islands
• Andamanese languages

External links

• Andaman & Nicobar Administration Web site
• The Andman Association
• www.andamanindia.com
• Indian Reef Region - Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• "Death toll on Andaman and Nicobar rises to more than 3000" - December 27, 2004 article