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There are several species in the Pterocarpus genus that are called "Padauk". For example, "African Padauk" most commonly refers to Pterocarpus soyauxii, but there are 10 other timber bearing species in Africa that fall under the category of "African Padauk". Likewise, there is Burmese/Burma Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus), which is native to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Calling Andaman Padauk just "Padauk" is too broad a term. |
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{{ | {{Short description|Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}} | {{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}} | ||
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| elevation_footnotes = | | elevation_footnotes = | ||
| highest_mount = [[Saddle Peak (Andaman Islands)|Saddle Peak]] | | highest_mount = [[Saddle Peak (Andaman Islands)|Saddle Peak]] | ||
| country = | | country = India | ||
| country_admin_divisions_title = Union territory | | country_admin_divisions_title = Union territory | ||
| country_admin_divisions = [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | | country_admin_divisions = [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | ||
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| country_leader_title = | | country_leader_title = | ||
| country_leader_name = | | country_leader_name = | ||
| country1 = | | country1 = Myanmar | ||
| country1_admin_divisions_title = Administrative region | | country1_admin_divisions_title = Administrative region | ||
| country1_admin_divisions = [[Yangon Region]] | | country1_admin_divisions = [[Yangon Region]] | ||
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}} | }} | ||
[[File:Andaman nicobar 76.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|{{center|Detailed map<br />of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands}}]] | [[File:Andaman nicobar 76.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|{{center|Detailed map<br />of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands}}]] | ||
The '''Andaman Islands''' ({{IPAc-en|'|æ|n|d|@|m|@|n}}) are an [[archipelago]], made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern [[Indian Ocean]] about {{cvt|130|km}} southwest off the coasts of [[Myanmar]]'s [[Ayeyarwady Region]]. Together with the [[Nicobar Islands]] to their south, the Andamans serve as a [[maritime boundary]] between the [[Bay of Bengal]] to the west and the [[Andaman Sea]] to the east. Most of the islands are part of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], a [[Union Territory]] of [[India]], while the [[Coco Islands]] and [[Preparis Island]] are part of the [[Yangon Region]] of [[Myanmar]]. | The '''Andaman Islands''' ({{IPAc-en|'|æ|n|d|@|m|@|n}}) are an [[archipelago]], made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern [[Indian Ocean]] about {{cvt|130|km}} southwest off the coasts of [[Myanmar]]'s [[Ayeyarwady Region]]. Together with the [[Nicobar Islands]] to their south, the Andamans serve as a [[maritime boundary]] between the [[Bay of Bengal]] to the west and the [[Andaman Sea]] to the east. Most of the islands are part of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], a [[Union Territory]] of [[India]], while the [[Coco Islands]] and [[Preparis Island]] are part of the [[Yangon Region]] of [[Myanmar]]. | ||
The Andaman Islands are home to the [[Andamanese peoples|Andamanese]], a group of indigenous people made up of a number of | The Andaman Islands are home to the [[Andamanese peoples|Andamanese]], a group of indigenous people made up of a number of [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] [[tribe]]s, including the [[Jarawas (Andaman Islands)|Jarawa]] and [[Sentinelese]].<ref name="trained_news.au">{{cite news |title=Police face-off with Sentinelese tribe as they struggle to recover slain missionary's body |url=https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/police-faceoff-with-sentinelese-tribe-as-they-struggle-to-recover-slain-missionarys-body/news-story/a88d3780059939a5e11ebcfb556327ac |access-date=26 November 2018 |work=News.com.au |date=26 November 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126034539/https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/police-faceoff-with-sentinelese-tribe-as-they-struggle-to-recover-slain-missionarys-body/news-story/a88d3780059939a5e11ebcfb556327ac |url-status=live }}</ref> While some of the islands can be visited with permits, entry to others, including [[North Sentinel Island]], is banned by law. The Sentinelese are generally hostile to visitors and have had [[uncontacted peoples|little contact]] with any other peoples, and the [[Indian Government]] and [[Indian Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] prohibit approaches within {{convert|3|nmi|km}} from the island to protect the natives' right to privacy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andaman.gov.in/web/guest/indigenous-tribes|title=Andaman & Nicobar|website=The Internet Archive|publisher=A&N Administration|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611075752/http://www.and.nic.in/archives/andaman/tribes.php|archive-date=11 June 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=13 February 2017}}</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
[[File:Distribution of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present day.png|thumb|The distributions of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present-day | [[File:Distribution of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present day.png|thumb|The distributions of different Andamanese peoples, languages, and dialects at the time of British contact compared to the present-day]] | ||
===Etymology=== | ===Etymology=== | ||
In the 13th century, the name of Andaman appears in Late [[Middle Chinese]] as ''ʔˠan<sup>H</sup> dɑ mˠan'' ({{lang|zh|晏陀蠻}}, pronounced ''yàntuómán'' in modern [[Mandarin Chinese]]) in the book ''[[Zhu Fan Zhi]]'' by [[Zhao Rukuo]].<ref name="ZhuFanZhi">{{cite book |title=Chau Ju-kua: His Work on the Chinese And Arab Trade in the Twelfth And Thirteenth Centuries, Entitled Chu-fan-chï |translator= Friedrich Hirth |translator2= William Woodville Rockhill |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924023289345 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924023289345/page/n162 147] | year=1911 | publisher= St. Petersburg, Printing office of the Imperial academy of sciences | quote=When sailing from lan-wu-li to si-lan, if the wind is not fair, ships maybe driven to a place called Yen-to-man. This is a group of two islands in the middle of the sea, one of them being large, the other small; the latter is quite uninhabited. ... The natives on it are of a colour resembling black lacquer; they eat men alive, so that sailors dare not anchor on this coast. }}</ref> In Chapter 38 of the book, ''Countries in the Sea'', Zhao Rukuo specifies that going from Lambri ([[Sumatra]]) to | In the 13th century, the name of Andaman appears in Late [[Middle Chinese]] as ''ʔˠan<sup>H</sup> dɑ mˠan'' ({{lang|zh|晏陀蠻}}, pronounced ''yàntuómán'' in modern [[Mandarin Chinese]]) in the book ''[[Zhu Fan Zhi]]'' by [[Zhao Rukuo]].<ref name="ZhuFanZhi">{{cite book |title=Chau Ju-kua: His Work on the Chinese And Arab Trade in the Twelfth And Thirteenth Centuries, Entitled Chu-fan-chï |translator= Friedrich Hirth |translator2= William Woodville Rockhill |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924023289345 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924023289345/page/n162 147] | year=1911 | publisher= St. Petersburg, Printing office of the Imperial academy of sciences | quote=When sailing from lan-wu-li to si-lan, if the wind is not fair, ships maybe driven to a place called Yen-to-man. This is a group of two islands in the middle of the sea, one of them being large, the other small; the latter is quite uninhabited. ... The natives on it are of a colour resembling black lacquer; they eat men alive, so that sailors dare not anchor on this coast. }}</ref> In Chapter 38 of the book, ''Countries in the Sea'', Zhao Rukuo specifies that going from Lambri ([[Sumatra]]) to Ceylon, an unfavourable wind makes ships drift towards the Andaman Islands.<ref name="ZhuFanZhi" /><ref>{{cite book | ||
| title=Ser Marco Polo : notes and addenda to Sir Henry Yule's edition, containing the results of recent research and discovery | | title=Ser Marco Polo : notes and addenda to Sir Henry Yule's edition, containing the results of recent research and discovery | ||
| author1=Cordier, Henri | | author1=Cordier, Henri | ||
| Line 84: | Line 83: | ||
===Early inhabitants=== | ===Early inhabitants=== | ||
The oldest archaeological evidence for the habitation of the islands dates to the [[1st millennium BC]]. Genetic evidence suggests that the indigenous [[Andamanese peoples]] share a common origin, and that the islands were settled sometime after 26,000 years ago, possibly at the end of the [[Last Glacial Period]], when sea levels were much lower reducing the distance between the Andaman Islands and the Asian mainland,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chaubey |first1=Gyaneshwer |last2=Endicott |first2=Phillip |date=June 2013 |title=The Andaman Islanders in a Regional Genetic Context: Reexamining the Evidence for an Early Peopling of the Archipelago from South Asia |url=https://bioone.org/journals/human-biology/volume-85/issue-1_2f_3/027.085.0307/The-Andaman-Islanders-in-a-Regional-Genetic-Context--Reexamining/10.3378/027.085.0307.full |journal=Human Biology |volume=85 |issue=1/3 |pages=153–172 |doi=10.3378/027.085.0307 |pmid=24297224 |issn=0018-7143|url-access=subscription }}</ref> with genetic estimates suggesting that the two main linguistic groups diverged around 16,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sitalaximi |first1=T. |last2=Varghese |first2=N. |last3=Kashyap |first3=V.K. |date=February 2023 |title=Genetic differentiation of Andaman Islanders and their relatedness to Nicobar Islanders |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2773044123000074 |journal=Human Gene |language=en |volume=35 | | The oldest archaeological evidence for the habitation of the islands dates to the [[1st millennium BC]]. Genetic evidence suggests that the indigenous [[Andamanese peoples]] share a common origin, and that the islands were settled sometime after 26,000 years ago, possibly at the end of the [[Last Glacial Period]], when sea levels were much lower, reducing the distance between the Andaman Islands and the Asian mainland,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chaubey |first1=Gyaneshwer |last2=Endicott |first2=Phillip |date=June 2013 |title=The Andaman Islanders in a Regional Genetic Context: Reexamining the Evidence for an Early Peopling of the Archipelago from South Asia |url=https://bioone.org/journals/human-biology/volume-85/issue-1_2f_3/027.085.0307/The-Andaman-Islanders-in-a-Regional-Genetic-Context--Reexamining/10.3378/027.085.0307.full |journal=Human Biology |volume=85 |issue=1/3 |pages=153–172 |doi=10.3378/027.085.0307 |pmid=24297224 |issn=0018-7143|url-access=subscription }}</ref> with genetic estimates suggesting that the two main linguistic groups diverged around 16,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sitalaximi |first1=T. |last2=Varghese |first2=N. |last3=Kashyap |first3=V.K. |date=February 2023 |title=Genetic differentiation of Andaman Islanders and their relatedness to Nicobar Islanders |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2773044123000074 |journal=Human Gene |language=en |volume=35 |article-number=201148 |doi=10.1016/j.humgen.2023.201148|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Andamanese peoples are a genetically distinct group highly divergent from other Asians.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mondal |first1=Mayukh |last2=Casals |first2=Ferran |last3=Xu |first3=Tina |last4=Dall'Olio |first4=Giovanni M |last5=Pybus |first5=Marc |last6=Netea |first6=Mihai G |last7=Comas |first7=David |last8=Laayouni |first8=Hafid |last9=Li |first9=Qibin |last10=Majumder |first10=Partha P |last11=Bertranpetit |first11=Jaume |date=September 2016 |title=Genomic analysis of Andamanese provides insights into ancient human migration into Asia and adaptation |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3621 |journal=Nature Genetics |language=en |volume=48 |issue=9 |pages=1066–1070 |doi=10.1038/ng.3621 |pmid=27455350 |hdl=10230/34401 |issn=1061-4036|hdl-access=free |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jinam |first1=Timothy A. |last2=Phipps |first2=Maude E. |last3=Aghakhanian |first3=Farhang |last4=Majumder |first4=Partha P. |last5=Datar |first5=Francisco |last6=Stoneking |first6=Mark |last7=Sawai |first7=Hiromi |last8=Nishida |first8=Nao |last9=Tokunaga |first9=Katsushi |last10=Kawamura |first10=Shoji |last11=Omoto |first11=Keiichi |last12=Saitou |first12=Naruya |date=August 2017 |title=Discerning the Origins of the Negritos, First Sundaland People: Deep Divergence and Archaic Admixture |url=http://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/9/8/2013/3952725/Discerning-the-Origins-of-the-Negritos-First |journal=Genome Biology and Evolution |language=en |volume=9 |issue=8 |pages=2013–2022 |doi=10.1093/gbe/evx118 |issn=1759-6653 |pmc=5597900 |pmid=28854687}}</ref>[[File:The Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal were said to be inhabited by wolf-headed people.jpg|thumb|left|The Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal were said to be inhabited by [[Cynocephaly#High and late medieval travel literature|wolf-headed people]], who were depicted in a "book of wonders" produced in Paris in the early 15th century.]] | ||
===Chola empire=== | ===Chola empire=== | ||
[[Rajendra Chola I|Rajendra I]] took over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/children/happy-in-havelock/article18376630.ece|title=Happy in Havelock|last=Krishnan|first=Madhuvanti S.|date=4 May 2017|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 November 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=22 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222085712/https://www.thehindu.com/children/happy-in-havelock/article18376630.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> He used the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a strategic naval base to launch an expedition against the [[Srivijaya|Sriwijaya Empire]]. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] called the island Ma-Nakkavaram ("great open/naked land"), found in the [[Thanjavur]] inscription of 1050 [[Common Era|CE]]. European traveller [[Marco Polo]] (12th–13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann' and a corrupted form of the Tamil name Nakkavaram would have led to the modern name Nicobar during the British colonial period.<ref name="goi1908">{{Cite | [[Rajendra Chola I|Rajendra I]] took over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/children/happy-in-havelock/article18376630.ece|title=Happy in Havelock|last=Krishnan|first=Madhuvanti S.|date=4 May 2017|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 November 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=22 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222085712/https://www.thehindu.com/children/happy-in-havelock/article18376630.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> He used the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a strategic naval base to launch an expedition against the [[Srivijaya|Sriwijaya Empire]]. The [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] called the island Ma-Nakkavaram ("great open/naked land"), found in the [[Thanjavur]] inscription of 1050 [[Common Era|CE]]. European traveller [[Marco Polo]] (12th–13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann' and a corrupted form of the Tamil name Nakkavaram would have led to the modern name Nicobar during the British colonial period.<ref name="goi1908">{{Cite book |author=Government of India|year=1908|title=The Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Local Gazetteer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rrwBAAAAYAAJ|publisher=Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta|quote=''... In the great Tanjore inscription of 1050 CE, the Andamans are mentioned under a translated name along with the Nicobars, as '''Nakkavaram''' or land of the naked people.''}}</ref> | ||
===British colonial era=== | ===British colonial era=== | ||
In 1789, the [[Bengal Presidency]] established a naval base and [[penal colony]] on [[Chatham Island (Andaman)|Chatham Island]] in the southeast bay of [[South Andaman Island|Great Andaman]]. The settlement is now known as [[Port Blair]] (after the [[Bombay Marine]] lieutenant [[Archibald Blair]] who founded it). After two years, the colony was moved to the northeast part of Great Andaman and was named Port Cornwallis after Admiral [[William Cornwallis]]. However, there was much disease and death in the penal colony and the government ceased operating it in May 1796.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=957–958}}<ref name="olivierblaise">{{Cite | In 1789, the [[Bengal Presidency]] established a naval base and [[penal colony]] on [[Chatham Island (Andaman)|Chatham Island]] in the southeast bay of [[South Andaman Island|Great Andaman]]. The settlement is now known as [[Port Blair]] (after the [[Bombay Marine]] lieutenant [[Archibald Blair]] who founded it). After two years, the colony was moved to the northeast part of Great Andaman and was named Port Cornwallis after Admiral [[William Cornwallis]]. However, there was much disease and death in the penal colony and the government ceased operating it in May 1796.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=957–958}}<ref name="olivierblaise">{{Cite web | title=Andaman Islands, India | author=Blaise, Olivier | publisher=PictureTank | url=http://www.picturetank.com/___/series/ff5d5b4d962b08bc130471b877292c58/en/Andaman_Isl.,_India_(1).html | access-date=16 November 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715083143/http://www.picturetank.com/___/series/ff5d5b4d962b08bc130471b877292c58/en/Andaman_Isl.,_India_(1).html | archive-date=15 July 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
In 1824, Port Cornwallis was the rendezvous of the fleet carrying the army to the [[First Burmese War]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=958}} In the 1830s and 1840s, shipwrecked crews who landed on the Andamans were often attacked and killed by the natives and the islands had a reputation for [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]]. The loss of the ''Runnymede'' and the ''Briton'' in 1844 during the same storm, while transporting goods and passengers between India and Australia, and the continuous attacks launched by the natives, which the survivors fought off, alarmed the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]].<ref>Kingston, W.H.G. (1873) ''Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea''. George Routledge and Sons, London.</ref> In 1855, the government proposed another settlement on the islands, including a [[Cellular Jail|convict establishment]], but the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] forced a delay in its construction. However, because the rebellion led to the British holding a large number of prisoners, it made the new Andaman settlement and prison urgently necessary. Construction began in November 1857 at Port Blair using inmates' labour, avoiding the vicinity of a salt swamp that seemed to have been the source of many of the earlier problems at Port Cornwallis.{{ | In 1824, Port Cornwallis was the rendezvous of the fleet carrying the army to the [[First Burmese War]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=958}} In the 1830s and 1840s, shipwrecked crews who landed on the Andamans were often attacked and killed by the natives and the islands had a reputation for [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]]. The loss of the ''Runnymede'' and the ''Briton'' in 1844 during the same storm, while transporting goods and passengers between India and Australia, and the continuous attacks launched by the natives, which the survivors fought off, alarmed the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]].<ref>Kingston, W.H.G. (1873) ''Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea''. George Routledge and Sons, London.</ref> In 1855, the government proposed another settlement on the islands, including a [[Cellular Jail|convict establishment]], but the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] forced a delay in its construction. However, because the rebellion led to the British holding a large number of prisoners, it made the new Andaman settlement and prison urgently necessary. Construction began in November 1857 at Port Blair using inmates' labour, avoiding the vicinity of a salt swamp that seemed to have been the source of many of the earlier problems at Port Cornwallis.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Anderson |first=Clare |date=2019-03-26 |title=Convicts, Commodities, and Connections in British Asia and the Indian Ocean, 1789–1866 |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/s0020859019000129 |journal=International Review of Social History |volume=64 |issue=S27 |pages=205–227 |doi=10.1017/s0020859019000129 |issn=0020-8590|hdl=2381/43626 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> | ||
The [[Battle of Aberdeen (Andaman Islands)|Battle of Aberdeen]] was fought on 17 May 1859 between the [[Great Andamanese]] tribe and the British. Today, a memorial stands in Andaman water sports complex as a tribute to the people who died in the battle. Fearful of British intentions and with help from an escaped convict from [[Cellular Jail]], the Great Andamanese attacked the British settlement, but they were outnumbered and soon suffered heavy casualties. Later, it was identified that an escaped convict named [[Dudhnath Tewari]] had changed sides and informed the British about the tribe's plans.<ref name="Rapidiq">{{cite web|url=https://rapidiq.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/the-rise-and-the-fall-of-the-great-andamanese/|title=The Rise and Fall of the Great Andamanese|work=Confessions of a Linguist!|date=8 April 2012|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=17 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217192515/http://rapidiq.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/the-rise-and-the-fall-of-the-great-andamanese/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="One India">{{cite web|url=http://www.oneindia.com/2007/05/17/who-are-heroes-of-battle-of-aberdeen-1179405748.html|title=Who are heroes of Battle of Aberdeen?|work=oneindia.com|date=17 May 2007|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=9 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709165627/http://www.oneindia.com/2007/05/17/who-are-heroes-of-battle-of-aberdeen-1179405748.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Andaman Sheekha">{{cite web|url=http://www.andamansheekha.com/2012/05/16/tribute-at-the-memorial-of-battle-of-aberdeen-today/|title=Tribute at the Memorial of "Battle of Aberdeen" Today|author=sanjib|work=andamansheekha.com|date=15 May 2012|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=10 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710012822/http://www.andamansheekha.com/2012/05/16/tribute-at-the-memorial-of-battle-of-aberdeen-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> | The [[Battle of Aberdeen (Andaman Islands)|Battle of Aberdeen]] was fought on 17 May 1859 between the [[Great Andamanese]] tribe and the British. Today, a memorial stands in Andaman water sports complex as a tribute to the people who died in the battle. Fearful of British intentions and with help from an escaped convict from [[Cellular Jail]], the Great Andamanese attacked the British settlement, but they were outnumbered and soon suffered heavy casualties. Later, it was identified that an escaped convict named [[Dudhnath Tewari]] had changed sides and informed the British about the tribe's plans.<ref name="Rapidiq">{{cite web|url=https://rapidiq.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/the-rise-and-the-fall-of-the-great-andamanese/|title=The Rise and Fall of the Great Andamanese|work=Confessions of a Linguist!|date=8 April 2012|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=17 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217192515/http://rapidiq.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/the-rise-and-the-fall-of-the-great-andamanese/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="One India">{{cite web|url=http://www.oneindia.com/2007/05/17/who-are-heroes-of-battle-of-aberdeen-1179405748.html|title=Who are heroes of Battle of Aberdeen?|work=oneindia.com|date=17 May 2007|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=9 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709165627/http://www.oneindia.com/2007/05/17/who-are-heroes-of-battle-of-aberdeen-1179405748.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Andaman Sheekha">{{cite web|url=http://www.andamansheekha.com/2012/05/16/tribute-at-the-memorial-of-battle-of-aberdeen-today/|title=Tribute at the Memorial of "Battle of Aberdeen" Today|author=sanjib|work=andamansheekha.com|date=15 May 2012|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=10 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710012822/http://www.andamansheekha.com/2012/05/16/tribute-at-the-memorial-of-battle-of-aberdeen-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
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[[File:Port Blair 1872 Ross Island Penal HQ.jpg|thumb|right|The Ross Island prison headquarters, 1872]] | [[File:Port Blair 1872 Ross Island Penal HQ.jpg|thumb|right|The Ross Island prison headquarters, 1872]] | ||
[[File:Great Andamanese women - 1876.jpg|thumb|Great Andamanese women | [[File:Great Andamanese women - 1876.jpg|thumb|Great Andamanese women, children, and one man, 1876]] | ||
From the time of its development in 1858 under the direction of James Pattison Walker, and in response to the mutiny and rebellion of the previous year, the settlement was first and foremost a repository for [[political prisoner]]s. The Cellular Jail at Port Blair, when completed in 1910, included 698 cells designed for solitary confinement; each cell measured {{convert|4.5|by|2.7|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} with a single ventilation window {{convert|3|m|ft|0}} above the floor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tyagi |first=Ditriksha |date=2024-09-20 |title=The Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |url=https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/case-studies/a13032-the-cellular-jail-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-2/ |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=RTF {{!}} Rethinking The Future |language=en-US}}</ref> | From the time of its development in 1858 under the direction of James Pattison Walker, and in response to the mutiny and rebellion of the previous year, the settlement was first and foremost a repository for [[political prisoner]]s. The Cellular Jail at Port Blair, when completed in 1910, included 698 cells designed for solitary confinement; each cell measured {{convert|4.5|by|2.7|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} with a single ventilation window {{convert|3|m|ft|0}} above the floor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tyagi |first=Ditriksha |date=2024-09-20 |title=The Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |url=https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/case-studies/a13032-the-cellular-jail-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-2/ |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=RTF {{!}} Rethinking The Future |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
The Indians imprisoned here referred to the island and its prison as ''Kala Pani'' ("black water"),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andamancellularjail.org/History.htm |title=History of Andaman Cellular Jail |publisher=Andamancellularjail.org |access-date=14 May 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209031136/http://www.andamancellularjail.org/History.htm |archive-date= 9 February 2010 }}</ref> named for [[Kala pani (taboo)|''kala pani'']], the Hindu proscription against | The Indians imprisoned here referred to the island and its prison as ''Kala Pani'' ("black water"),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andamancellularjail.org/History.htm |title=History of Andaman Cellular Jail |publisher=Andamancellularjail.org |access-date=14 May 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209031136/http://www.andamancellularjail.org/History.htm |archive-date= 9 February 2010 }}</ref> named for [[Kala pani (taboo)|''kala pani'']], the Hindu proscription against travelling across the open sea. Incarceration on the Andamans thus threatened prisoners with the loss of their [[Caste system in India|caste]], and resultant social exclusion;<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bashford |first1=Alison |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z72MP1zc4KgC&pg=PA37 |title=Isolation: Places and Practices of Exclusion |last2=Strange |first2=Carolyn |date=2004-06-04 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-203-40522-2 |language=en}}</ref> a 1996 film set on the island took that term as its title, ''[[Kaalapani (1996 film)|Kaalapani]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imdb.com/title/tt0255289/ |title=Kala Pani (1996) |date=12 April 1996 |publisher=Imdb.com |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=12 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112003713/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255289/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The number of prisoners who died in this camp is estimated to be in the thousands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andamancellularjail.org/ListOfRevolutionaries.htm |title=Andaman Islands Political Prisoners |publisher=Andamancellularjail.org |access-date=14 May 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906201654/http://www.andamancellularjail.org/ListOfRevolutionaries.htm |archive-date= 6 September 2010 }}</ref> Many more died of harsh treatment and the strenuous living and working conditions in this camp.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/21/stories/2005122107881100.htm |title=Opinion / News Analysis: Hundred years of the Andamans Cellular Jail |date= 21 December 2005|access-date=14 May 2010 |location=Chennai, India| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100511175419/http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/21/stories/2005122107881100.htm| archive-date= 11 May 2010 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | url-status= dead}}</ref> | ||
The Viper Chain Gang Jail on [[Viper Island]] was reserved for extraordinarily troublesome prisoners and was also the site of hangings. In the 20th century, it became a convenient place to house prominent members of India's independence movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=13 April 2023 |orig-date=13 April 2023 is from HTTP Last-Modified header; webpage says "Feb 25" with no year specified anywhere |title=Discover the dark history of Viper Island : Where punishment was harsh and retribution was swift |url=https://www.exploreandaman.co.in/islands/dark-history-of-viper-island-andaman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016195141/https://www.exploreandaman.co.in/islands/dark-history-of-viper-island-andaman |archive-date=2023-10-16 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=ExploreAndaman |publisher=Explore Andaman |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jail at Viper Island |url=https://www.mountainedge.in/Jail-at-viper-island-andman.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016195237/https://www.mountainedge.in/Jail-at-viper-island-andman.php |archive-date=2023-10-16 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Mountain Edge Tours and Holidays Pvt. Ltd.}}</ref> | The Viper Chain Gang Jail on [[Viper Island]] was reserved for extraordinarily troublesome prisoners and was also the site of hangings. In the 20th century, it became a convenient place to house prominent members of India's independence movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=13 April 2023 |orig-date=13 April 2023 is from HTTP Last-Modified header; webpage says "Feb 25" with no year specified anywhere |title=Discover the dark history of Viper Island : Where punishment was harsh and retribution was swift |url=https://www.exploreandaman.co.in/islands/dark-history-of-viper-island-andaman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016195141/https://www.exploreandaman.co.in/islands/dark-history-of-viper-island-andaman |archive-date=2023-10-16 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=ExploreAndaman |publisher=Explore Andaman |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jail at Viper Island |url=https://www.mountainedge.in/Jail-at-viper-island-andman.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016195237/https://www.mountainedge.in/Jail-at-viper-island-andman.php |archive-date=2023-10-16 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Mountain Edge Tours and Holidays Pvt. Ltd.}}</ref> | ||
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====Natural disasters==== | ====Natural disasters==== | ||
On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Andaman Islands was devastated by a {{convert|10|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-high}} tsunami following the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]], which is the longest recorded earthquake, lasting for between 500 and 600 seconds.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Guinness Book of World Records 2014|last=Glenday|first=Craig|publisher=The Jim Pattison Group|year=2013|isbn=978-1-908843-15-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/page/015 015]|url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/page/015}}</ref> Strong oral tradition in the area warned of the importance of moving inland after a quake and is credited with saving many lives.<ref name="folklore">{{cite news |last1=Bhaumik |first1=Subir |title=Tsunami folklore 'saved islanders' |url= | On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Andaman Islands was devastated by a {{convert|10|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-high}} tsunami following the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]], which is the longest recorded earthquake, lasting for between 500 and 600 seconds.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Guinness Book of World Records 2014|last=Glenday|first=Craig|publisher=The Jim Pattison Group|year=2013|isbn=978-1-908843-15-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/page/015 015]|url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/page/015}}</ref> Strong oral tradition in the area warned of the importance of moving inland after a quake and is credited with saving many lives.<ref name="folklore">{{cite news |last1=Bhaumik |first1=Subir |title=Tsunami folklore 'saved islanders' |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4181855.stm |access-date=1 June 2024 |agency=BBC News |date=20 January 2005}}</ref> In the aftermath, more than 2,000 people were confirmed dead and more than 4,000 children were orphaned or had lost one parent. At least 40,000 residents were rendered homeless and were moved to relief camps.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake and Tsunami of December 26, 2004|year=2007|publisher=ASCE, Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering|location=Reston, VA|isbn=9780784409510|url=http://www.asce.org/Product.aspx?id=2147486137&productid=5511|editor1=Strand, Carl|editor2=Masek, John|access-date=12 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024115815/http://www.asce.org/Product.aspx?id=2147486137&productid=5511|archive-date=24 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 11 August 2009, a magnitude 7 earthquake struck near the Andaman Islands, causing a tsunami warning to go into effect. On 30 March 2010, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near the Andaman Islands. | ||
==Geography and geology== | ==Geography and geology== | ||
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==Flora== | ==Flora== | ||
[[File:Shaheed Island, Andamans, Tropical forest.jpg|thumb|Tropical forest, Shaheed Island]] | [[File:Shaheed Island, Andamans, Tropical forest.jpg|thumb|Tropical forest, Shaheed Dweep, ([[Neil Island]])]] | ||
[[File:Havelock Island, Mangrove trees in tropical sea, Andaman Islands.jpg|thumb|Mangrove trees on the beach, Havelock Island]] | [[File:Havelock Island, Mangrove trees in tropical sea, Andaman Islands.jpg|thumb|Mangrove trees on the beach, Havelock Island]] | ||
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==Demographics== | ==Demographics== | ||
[[File:The von Eickstedts in the Andamans 1926.jpg|thumb|The von Eickstedts in | [[File:The von Eickstedts in the Andamans 1926.jpg|thumb|The [[Egon Freiherr von Eickstedt|von Eickstedts]] with some Andamanese people in 1926]] | ||
[[File:Andamanese Onge.png|thumb|An Andamanese family on the [[Great Andaman]] island in 2006]] | [[File:Andamanese Onge.png|thumb|An Andamanese family on the [[Great Andaman]] island in 2006]] | ||
{{As of|2011}}, the population of the Andaman was 343,125,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/knowindia/ut_andaman.php |access-date=3 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619045535/http://www.india.gov.in/knowindia/ut_andaman.php|publisher=india.gov.in|title=Andaman & Nicobar Islands |archive-date=19 June 2010 }}</ref> having grown from 50,000 in 1960. The bulk of the population originates from immigrants who came to the | {{As of|2011}}, the population of the Andaman Islands was 343,125,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/knowindia/ut_andaman.php |access-date=3 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619045535/http://www.india.gov.in/knowindia/ut_andaman.php|publisher=india.gov.in|title=Andaman & Nicobar Islands |archive-date=19 June 2010 }}</ref> having grown from 50,000 in 1960. The bulk of the population originates from immigrants who came to the islands since the start of [[European colonization|colonial times]], mainly of [[Bengali people|Bengali]], [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], [[Telugu people|Telugu]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/telugu-culture-flourishing-in-andamans/article6136317.ece | title='Telugu culture flourishing in Andamans' | work=The Hindu | date=21 June 2014 }}</ref> [[Tamil people|Tamil]], and [[Malayalam people|Malayalam]] backgrounds.<ref name="distadmin">{{cite web|url=http://andamandt.nic.in/profile.htm |title=Andaman & Nicobar Islands at a glance |publisher=Andamandt.nic.in |access-date=14 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213201339/http://andamandt.nic.in/profile.htm |archive-date=13 December 2011 }}</ref> | ||
A small minority of the population are the [[Andamanese people|Andamanese]], the [[indigenous peoples|aboriginal inhabitants]] ([[adivasi]]) of the islands. When they first came into sustained contact with outside groups in the 1850s, there were an estimated 7,000 Andamanese, divided into the [[Great Andamanese]], [[Jarawa (Andaman Islands)|Jarawa]] (or ''Aong''), [[Jangil]] (or ''Rutland Jarawa/Onge''), [[Onge people|Onge]], and the [[Sentinelese people|Sentinelese]] (an [[Uncontacted peoples|uncontacted people]]).<ref>{{cite news |date=30 November 2018 |title=Everything We Know About The Isolated Sentinelese People Of North Sentinel Island |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2018/11/30/everything-we-know-about-the-isolated-sentinelese-people-of-north-sentinel-island/ |work=Forbes}}</ref>. The Great Andamanese originally formed 10 tribes of 5,000 people total. As the number of settlers from the mainland increased (at first mostly [[Penal colony|prisoners]] and involuntary [[indentured labour]]ers, later purposely recruited farmers), the Andamanese suffered an extreme population decline due to the introduction of outside [[infectious diseases]], land encroachment from settlers, and conflict. | |||
Some demographic figures from the end of the 20th century estimate there remain only approximately 400–450 ethnic Andamanese still on the islands, and as few as 50 speakers of Andamanese languages. The Jangil people are extinct. Most of the Great Andamanese tribes are extinct, and the survivors, now just 52, speak mostly [[Hindi]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malekar |first=Anosh |date=April 2010 |title=The case for a linguistic survey |work=InfoChange News & Features |publication-place=India |url=http://infochangeindia.org/Media/Languages-of-India/The-case-for-a-linguistic-survey.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927215058/http://infochangeindia.org/Media/Languages-of-India/The-case-for-a-linguistic-survey.html |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> The Onge are reduced to less than 100 people. Only the Jarawa and Sentinelese still maintain a steadfast independence and refuse most attempts at contact; their numbers are uncertain but estimated to be in the low hundreds. | |||
The indigenous languages are collectively referred to as the [[Andamanese languages]], but they make up at least two independent families, and the dozen or so attested languages are either extinct or endangered. | Due to their isolated island location, the Andamanese peoples have mostly avoided contact with the outside world. Their languages are a reflection of this, with distinct linguistics that have strong [[Morphology (linguistics)|morphological features]], such as root words, prefixes, and suffixes, with very little relation to surrounding geographic regions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Endicott |first1=Phillip |last2=Gilbert |first2=M. Thomas P. |last3=Stringer |first3=Chris |last4=Lalueza-Fox |first4=Carles |last5=Willerslev |first5=Eske |last6=Hansen |first6=Anders J. |last7=Cooper |first7=Alan |date=January 2003 |title=The Genetic Origins of the Andaman Islanders |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/345487 |journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=178–184 |doi=10.1086/345487 |issn=0002-9297 |pmc=378623 |pmid=12478481}}</ref> The indigenous languages are collectively referred to as the [[Andamanese languages]], but they make up at least two independent families ([[Great Andamanese languages|Great Andamanese]] and [[Ongan languages|Ongan]], as well as two presumed but unattested languages, [[Sentinelese language|Sentinelese]] and [[Jangil language|Jangil]]), and the dozen or so attested languages are either [[Extinct language|extinct]] or [[Endangered language|endangered]]. | ||
==Religion== | ==Religion== | ||
Most of the tribal people in Andaman and Nicobar Islands believe in a religion that can be described as a form of [[monotheism|monotheistic]] [[animism]]. The tribal people of these islands believe that [[Puluga]] is the only deity and is responsible for everything happening on Earth.<ref>{{cite book|author=Radcliffe-Brown, A. R.|title=The Andaman Islanders|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iRJaAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA161|date=14 November 2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-62556-3|page=161|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-date=26 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426152135/https://books.google.com/books?id=iRJaAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA161|url-status=live}}</ref> The faith of the Andamanese teaches that Puluga resides on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' [[Saddle Peak (Andaman Islands)|Saddle Peak]]. People try to avoid any action that might displease Puluga. People belonging to this religion believe in the presence of souls, ghosts, and spirits. They put a lot of emphasis on dreams. They let dreams decide different courses of action in their lives.<ref>{{Cite web|title = People of Andaman and Nicobar Islands|url = http://www.webindia123.com/territories/andaman/people/intro.htm|website = Webindia123.com|access-date = 31 January 2016|archive-date = 1 June 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160601155012/http://www.webindia123.com/Territories/ANDAMAN/People/intro.htm|url-status = live}}</ref> | Most of the tribal people in Andaman and Nicobar Islands believe in a religion that can be described as a form of [[monotheism|monotheistic]] [[animism]]. The tribal people of these islands believe that [[Puluga]] is the only deity and is responsible for everything happening on Earth.<ref>{{cite book|author=Radcliffe-Brown, A. R.|title=The Andaman Islanders|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iRJaAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA161|date=14 November 2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-62556-3|page=161|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-date=26 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426152135/https://books.google.com/books?id=iRJaAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA161|url-status=live}}</ref> The faith of the Andamanese teaches that Puluga resides on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' [[Saddle Peak (Andaman Islands)|Saddle Peak]]. People try to avoid any action that might displease Puluga. People belonging to this religion believe in the presence of souls, ghosts, and spirits. They put a lot of emphasis on dreams. They let dreams decide different courses of action in their lives.<ref>{{Cite web|title = People of Andaman and Nicobar Islands|url = http://www.webindia123.com/territories/andaman/people/intro.htm|website = Webindia123.com|access-date = 31 January 2016|archive-date = 1 June 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160601155012/http://www.webindia123.com/Territories/ANDAMAN/People/intro.htm|url-status = live}}</ref> | ||
Andamanese mythology held that human males emerged from split bamboo, whereas women were fashioned from clay.<ref>Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred Reginald. The Andaman Islanders: A study in social anthropology. 2nd printing (enlarged). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [1906]. p. 192</ref> One version found by [[Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown]] held that the first man died and went to heaven, a pleasurable world, but this blissful period ended due to breaking a food taboo, specifically eating the forbidden vegetables in the Puluga's garden.<ref>Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred Reginald. The Andaman Islanders: A study in social anthropology. 2nd printing (enlarged). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [1906]. p. 220</ref> Thus catastrophe ensued, and eventually the people grew overpopulated and didn't follow Puluga's laws. Hence, there was a [[Great Flood]] that left four survivors, who lost their fire.<ref>Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred Reginald. The Andaman Islanders: A study in social anthropology. 2nd printing (enlarged). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [1906]. p. 216</ref><ref>Witzel, Michael E.J. (2012). The Origin of The World's Mythologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. | Andamanese mythology held that human males emerged from split bamboo, whereas women were fashioned from clay.<ref>Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred Reginald. The Andaman Islanders: A study in social anthropology. 2nd printing (enlarged). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [1906]. p. 192</ref> One version found by [[Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown]] held that the first man died and went to heaven, a pleasurable world, but this blissful period ended due to breaking a food taboo, specifically eating the forbidden vegetables in the Puluga's garden.<ref>Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred Reginald. The Andaman Islanders: A study in social anthropology. 2nd printing (enlarged). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [1906]. p. 220</ref> Thus catastrophe ensued, and eventually the people grew overpopulated and didn't follow Puluga's laws. Hence, there was a [[Great Flood]] that left four survivors, who lost their fire.<ref>Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred Reginald. The Andaman Islanders: A study in social anthropology. 2nd printing (enlarged). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [1906]. p. 216</ref><ref>Witzel, Michael E.J. (2012). The Origin of The World's Mythologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 309–312</ref> | ||
Other religions practiced in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are, in order of size, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, [[Sikhism]], Buddhism, [[Jainism]] and [[Baháʼí Faith]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|title=Population by religious communities|publisher=censusindia.gov.in|access-date=21 September 2016|archive-date=6 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106014425/http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bahai.org/national-communities/andaman-and-nicobar-islands|title=Baháʼí Community of Andaman and Nicobar Islands|last=Baháʼí|website=Baháʼí Community|access-date=17 August 2017|archive-date=17 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817163632/http://www.bahai.org/national-communities/andaman-and-nicobar-islands|url-status=live}}</ref> | Other religions practiced in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are, in order of size, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, [[Sikhism]], Buddhism, [[Jainism]] and [[Baháʼí Faith]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|title=Population by religious communities|publisher=censusindia.gov.in|access-date=21 September 2016|archive-date=6 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106014425/http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bahai.org/national-communities/andaman-and-nicobar-islands|title=Baháʼí Community of Andaman and Nicobar Islands|last=Baháʼí|website=Baháʼí Community|access-date=17 August 2017|archive-date=17 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817163632/http://www.bahai.org/national-communities/andaman-and-nicobar-islands|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
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The only commercial airport is [[Veer Savarkar International Airport]] in Port Blair. The airport is under the control of the [[Indian Navy]]. Prior to 2016 only daylight operations were allowed; since 2016 night flights have also operated.<ref>{{cite news|editor1=Roy, Sanjib Kumar|editor2=Sheekha, Andaman|title=Maiden night flight arrives in Isles|url=http://www.andamansheekha.com/2016/01/21/maiden-night-flight-arrives-in-isles-goair-flight-with-155-tourists-lands-at-vsi-airport-to-operate-chartered-flight-between-bengaluru-port-blair/|access-date=21 January 2016|work=Andaman Sheekha|date=21 January 2016|archive-date=2 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002092304/http://www.andamansheekha.com/2016/01/21/maiden-night-flight-arrives-in-isles-goair-flight-with-155-tourists-lands-at-vsi-airport-to-operate-chartered-flight-between-bengaluru-port-blair/|url-status=live}}</ref> A small airstrip, about {{convert|1000|m|ft}} long, is located near the eastern shore of North Andaman near [[Diglipur]].{{cn|date=February 2025}} | The only commercial airport is [[Veer Savarkar International Airport]] in Port Blair. The airport is under the control of the [[Indian Navy]]. Prior to 2016 only daylight operations were allowed; since 2016 night flights have also operated.<ref>{{cite news|editor1=Roy, Sanjib Kumar|editor2=Sheekha, Andaman|title=Maiden night flight arrives in Isles|url=http://www.andamansheekha.com/2016/01/21/maiden-night-flight-arrives-in-isles-goair-flight-with-155-tourists-lands-at-vsi-airport-to-operate-chartered-flight-between-bengaluru-port-blair/|access-date=21 January 2016|work=Andaman Sheekha|date=21 January 2016|archive-date=2 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002092304/http://www.andamansheekha.com/2016/01/21/maiden-night-flight-arrives-in-isles-goair-flight-with-155-tourists-lands-at-vsi-airport-to-operate-chartered-flight-between-bengaluru-port-blair/|url-status=live}}</ref> A small airstrip, about {{convert|1000|m|ft}} long, is located near the eastern shore of North Andaman near [[Diglipur]].{{cn|date=February 2025}} | ||
There are also ships from Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata.{{ | There are also ships from Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Reach {{!}} District South Andaman, Government of Andaman and Nicobar {{!}} India |url=https://southandaman.nic.in/how-to-reach/ |access-date=2026-05-17 |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
==Cultural references== | ==Cultural references== | ||
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[[M. M. Kaye]]'s 1985 novel ''Death in the Andamans''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kaye |first=M. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IADkCgAAQBAJ |title=Death in the Andamans |date=2015-12-01 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-250-08926-7 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Marianne Wiggins]]' 1989 novel ''John Dollar'' are set in the islands.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wiggins |first=Marianne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LC7HfgbTFaQC |title=John Dollar |date=1990 |publisher=Harper & Row |isbn=978-0-06-091655-8 |language=en}}</ref> The latter begins with an expedition from Burma to celebrate King George's birthday, but turns into a grim survival story after an earthquake and tsunami. | [[M. M. Kaye]]'s 1985 novel ''Death in the Andamans''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kaye |first=M. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IADkCgAAQBAJ |title=Death in the Andamans |date=2015-12-01 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-250-08926-7 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Marianne Wiggins]]' 1989 novel ''John Dollar'' are set in the islands.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wiggins |first=Marianne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LC7HfgbTFaQC |title=John Dollar |date=1990 |publisher=Harper & Row |isbn=978-0-06-091655-8 |language=en}}</ref> The latter begins with an expedition from Burma to celebrate King George's birthday, but turns into a grim survival story after an earthquake and tsunami. | ||
A principal character in the novel ''[[Six Suspects (novel)|Six Suspects]]'' by [[Vikas Swarup]] is from the Andaman Islands.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sawhney |first=Hirsh |date=2008-10-17 |title=Delhi underbelly |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/18/vikas-swarup |access-date=2025-02-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |quote="In the end, Vicky Rai's murder is pinned on an innocent tribesman from the Andaman Islands, and a stream of encores await. All fail to pack a punch. Swarup has attempted an ambitious, complex project that required more cooking time, fewer plot lines and liberation from the desire to write a "great Indian novel"."}}</ref> The main protagonist of [[William Boyd (writer)|William Boyd's]] 2018 novel ''Love is Blind'', spends time in the Andaman Islands at the turn of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite news |title=William Boyd's new novel is a moreish romp |url=https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2018/09/27/william-boyds-new-novel-is-a-moreish-romp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210005058/https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2018/09/27/william-boyds-new-novel-is-a-moreish-romp |archive-date=2018-12-10 |access-date=2025-02-15 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> The Andaman Islands in the period before, during and just after the Second World War are the setting for Uzma Aslan Khan's ''The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Becker |first=Alida |date=2022-12-04 |title=The Best Historical Fiction of 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/books/review/the-best-historical-fiction-of-2022.html |access-date=2025-02-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote="Set in a British penal colony in the remote Andaman Islands just before and during World War II, Uzma Aslam | A principal character in the novel ''[[Six Suspects (novel)|Six Suspects]]'' by [[Vikas Swarup]] is from the Andaman Islands.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sawhney |first=Hirsh |date=2008-10-17 |title=Delhi underbelly |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/18/vikas-swarup |access-date=2025-02-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |quote="In the end, Vicky Rai's murder is pinned on an innocent tribesman from the Andaman Islands, and a stream of encores await. All fail to pack a punch. Swarup has attempted an ambitious, complex project that required more cooking time, fewer plot lines and liberation from the desire to write a "great Indian novel"."}}</ref> The main protagonist of [[William Boyd (writer)|William Boyd's]] 2018 novel ''Love is Blind'', spends time in the Andaman Islands at the turn of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite news |title=William Boyd's new novel is a moreish romp |url=https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2018/09/27/william-boyds-new-novel-is-a-moreish-romp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210005058/https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2018/09/27/william-boyds-new-novel-is-a-moreish-romp |archive-date=2018-12-10 |access-date=2025-02-15 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> The Andaman Islands in the period before, during and just after the Second World War are the setting for Uzma Aslan Khan's ''The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Becker |first=Alida |date=2022-12-04 |title=The Best Historical Fiction of 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/books/review/the-best-historical-fiction-of-2022.html |access-date=2025-02-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote="Set in a British penal colony in the remote Andaman Islands just before and during World War II, Uzma Aslam Khan's THE MIRACULOUS TRUE HISTORY OF NOMI ALI is a suspenseful, thought-provoking challenge to simple assumptions about enemies and friends, loyalty and betrayal. A young girl called Nomi Ali, the daughter of a prisoner whose entire family must share his incarceration, is only one of the many characters whose histories are entangled here."}}</ref> | ||
=== Film and television === | === Film and television === | ||
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* [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | * [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | ||
* [[List of endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | * [[List of endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | ||
* [[List of reptiles and amphibians of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | |||
* [[List of mammals of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | |||
* [[List of trees of the Andaman Islands]] | * [[List of trees of the Andaman Islands]] | ||
* [[Lists of islands]] | * [[Lists of islands]] | ||