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Andamans
The islands forming Andaman group consist of North, Middle and
South Andaman
popularly known as Great Andaman. These islands are separated from one another by
narrow straits. The four straits which divide the great Andaman's are Austen
strait, Homfray's strait, Middle or Andaman strait and Macpherson's strait. On
the extreme north away from North Andaman lies Landfall Island; the Labyrinth
islands are off the south-west coast of South Andaman, off the east coast of the
same island lies Ritchie's Archipelago also known as Archipelago islands.
Baratang, lies between, somewhat to the east of the Middle and South Andaman,
and Rutland island near the southern end of South Andaman. At the southern end
of the southern group of Andaman islands lie, Little Andaman island. This island
which is completely flat is separated from Rutland island by Duncan Passage in
which lies, Cinque Island and a few other tiny islets.
The islands are a mass of hills enclosing very narrow valleys. The whole area
is covered by an exceedingly dense tropical jungle. The hill rise
especially on the east coast to a considerable elevation. The prominent heights
are Saddle Peak in the north Andaman which is 732 metres, Mount Diavolo which
is 511m behind Cuthbert Bay in the middle Andaman, Koiob which is 459m, Mount
Harriett which is 364 m and the Cholunga Range which is 324m in the South
Andaman and Ford's peak in Rutland Island which is 434m.
 On the east of Great Andaman lie two volcanic islands namely Nariondam and
Barren. Nariondom Island is like a high and lofty flat peak rising out of
the deep waters of the sea. Barren Island is the crater of a volcano rising
abruptly out of the sea. It lies 114kms (71 miles) to the north-east of Port
Blair. Its diameter is about two miles and the ground all round, slopes gently
from the sea.
The coasts of the Andamans are deeply indented forming a number of safe harbors
and tidal creeks which are surrounded by mangrove swamps. The chief harbors on
the east coast are Port Meadows, Colebrook Passage, Elphinstone Harbour (Homfray's strait), Stewart sound and Port Cornwallis. The chief harbors on the
west coast are Temple sound, Interview Passage, Port Anson or Kwangtung Harbour,
Port Cambell, Port Mouat and Macpherson's strait. Many other safe anchorages for
sea-going vessels lie along the coasts. They are Shoal Bay and Kotara Anchorage
in the South Andaman, Cadell Bay and the Turtle Islands in the North Andaman and
Outram Harbour and Kwangtung strait in the Archipelago.
The islands are formed by the summits of a submarine range connected with the
Arakan Yoma of Burma, stretching a curve to which the Meridian 92o E forms a
tangent between cape Negrais and Sumatra. The extreme north point of the
Nicobars lies in 13o34'3" N and the extreme south point of the Nicobars in
6o45'N.
This curved line of submarine hills extends for 700 geographical miles and
encloses the Andaman Sea bounded to the east by the coasts of Burma, the Malay
Peninsula, and Sumatra and communicating with the outer ocean by seven broad channels
or openings, six from the Bay of Bengal on the west and one from the Gulf of
Siam on the east.
The scenery of Andamans is beautiful and breadth takingly impressive. The
multiple range of hills and the sea glistening on some of the coral beds in the
innumerable bays are a prominent feature of the colourful landscape. The
coastline is heavily indented, providing many natural harbors.
Nicobars
The Nicobar Group lying south of the Andamans extends from 6 to 100 north
latitude. The northern-most island is Car Nicobar which lies about 120km to the
south of Little Andaman and the southernmost island is Great Nicobar barely 150km
from Sumatra. Pygmalion Point also known as Parsons Point which has since been
renamed as "Indira Point" is the southernmost tip of India.
The important islands in this group are Great
Nicobar, Car Nicobar, Chowra , Teressa, Bomoka, Katchal, Camrota, Trinkat, Pulo Milow and the Little
Nicobar.
The biggest is the Great Nicobar followed by Little Nicobar, Camorta and Car
Nicobar.
Car Nicobar is hilly compared to other islands. These islands came under the
British in 1869 and a penal settlement subordinate to that in Andamans was
established but it was withdrawn in 1888. Since Independence it has become a
Union Territory.
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