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| image_name = Nicobar Islands.PNG | | image_name = Nicobar Islands.PNG | ||
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| image_caption = Location of the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. | | image_caption = Location of the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. | ||
| image_alt = | | image_alt = | ||
| map_image = Nicobar Islands.jpg | | map_image = Nicobar Islands.jpg | ||
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| timezone1_DST = {{nowrap|not observed}} | | timezone1_DST = {{nowrap|not observed}} | ||
| utc_offset1_DST = +5:30 | | utc_offset1_DST = +5:30 | ||
| website = | | website = https://andaman.nic.in/ | ||
| additional_info = | | additional_info = | ||
}} | }}The '''Nicobar Islands''' {{IPAc-en|'|n|I|k|@|b|ɑːr}} are an [[archipelago|archipelagic]] island chain in the eastern [[Indian Ocean]]. They are located in [[Southeast Asia]], {{convert|150|km}} northwest of [[Aceh]] on [[Sumatra]], and separated from [[Thailand]] to the east by the [[Andaman Sea]]. Located {{convert|1,300|km}} southeast of the [[Indian subcontinent]], across the [[Bay of Bengal]], they are part of India, as the [[Nicobar district]] within the union territory of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]. Together with the [[Andaman Islands]] to their north, the Nicobar Islands serve as a [[maritime boundary]] between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. | ||
The '''Nicobar''' {{IPAc-en|'|n|I|k|@|b|ɑːr}} | |||
[[UNESCO]] | In 2013, [[UNESCO]] added the [[Great Nicobar Island]] to its [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves]], a list of internationally designated protected areas.<ref name="Unesco">[http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/multimedia/photos/mab-2013/], The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), added the following new sites to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/multimedia/photos/mab-2013/india/.</ref> | ||
== | ==History== | ||
{{ | === Etymology === | ||
The earliest extant references to the name "Nicobar" is in the [[Sri Lanka]]n [[Pali]] [[Buddhist]] chronicles, the ''[[Dipavamsa]]'' (c. 3rd or 4th century CE) and the ''[[Mahavamsa]]'' (c. 4th or 5th century), which state that the children of the followers of the legendary founder of the Sri Lankan Kingdom, Vijaya, landed on ''Naggadipa'' (the island of the children, from the Pali '''nagga''' meaning 'naked').<ref>{{Cite book| title=The Mahavamsa or The Great Chronicle of Ceylon| author=Wilhelm Geiger (Tr)| year=1912| access-date=8 July 2013| publisher=Pali Text Society| url=http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/mahavamsa.geiger.pdf| quote=''P54 "The island where the children landed was called Naggadipa..." N: "l That is,'Island of children', from nagga 'naked'..." ''| isbn=978-81-206-0218-2| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512133050/http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/mahavamsa.geiger.pdf| archive-date=12 May 2012| url-status=dead}} {{Cite web |url=http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/mahavamsa.geiger.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 July 2013 |archive-date=12 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512133050/http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/mahavamsa.geiger.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the ninth century, the Persian explorer [[Abu Zayd al-Sirafi|Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī]] referred to the Nicobar Islands as Lanjabālūs.<ref>{{Cite book| title=Accounts of China and India| author=Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī| year=2017| publisher=New York University Press}}</ref> | |||
The modern name is likely derived from the [[Chola dynasty]] name for the islands, '''''Nakkavaram''''' (may be referring to open/naked land or naked man's land in [[Tamil language|Tamil]]), which is inscribed on the [[Thanjavur]] (Tanjore) inscription of 1050 CE.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Ancient Jaffna| author=C Rasanayagam| year=1926 | publisher=Asian Educational Society (reprint)| quote= ''P53 "Naggadipa, where the children are alleged to have landed, is certainly Nicobars, the Nakkavaram of the Tamils, ...''| isbn= 978-81-206-0210-6}}</ref><ref name="keay2001">{{Cite book | title=India: A History | author=John Keay | year=2001 | publisher=Grove Press | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ibLUu6RlvqwC | quote=''... and 'Nakkavaram' certainly represents the Nicobar islands ...'' | isbn=978-0-8021-3797-5}}</ref><ref name="britannica1998">{{Cite book | title=The New Encyclopædia Britannica | year=1998 | access-date = 16 November 2008 | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abRYAAAAMAAJ | quote=''... The name Nicobar probably is derived from Nakkavaram ("Land of the Naked") ...'' | isbn=978-0-85229-633-2}}</ref> [[Marco Polo]] (12th-13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann'. | |||
In the 15th century, Great Nicobar Island was recorded as "Cui Lan island" (翠蘭嶼) during the [[voyages of Zheng He]] in the [[Mao Kun map]] of the [[Wu Bei Zhi]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wu Bei Zhi Map 17 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/g7821rm.gct00058/?sp=17 |website=Library of Congress}}</ref> | |||
=== Prehistory === | === Prehistory === | ||
[[File:Natives of Nicobar Islands.jpg|thumb|[[Nicobarese people]], c. 1870]] | [[File:Natives of Nicobar Islands.jpg|thumb|[[Nicobarese people]], {{c.|1870}}]] | ||
The Nicobar Islands are believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years. Six indigenous | The Nicobar Islands are believed to have been inhabited for several thousands of years. Six indigenous Nicobarese languages are spoken on the islands, which are part of the [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatic language family]], which include [[Mon language|the Mon]], [[Khmer language|Khmer]], and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] languages of [[Southeast Asia]], as well as the [[Munda languages]] of India. An indigenous tribe living at the southern tip of Great Nicobar, known as the Shompen, may be of [[Mesolithic]] Southeast Asian origin.<ref>{{cite journal | ||
| author = Rajni Trivedi| title = Molecular insights into the origins of the Shompen, a declining population of the Nicobar archipelago | | author = Rajni Trivedi| title = Molecular insights into the origins of the Shompen, a declining population of the Nicobar archipelago | ||
| journal = Journal of Human Genetics | issue = 3 | volume = 51 | date = March 2006 | | journal = Journal of Human Genetics | issue = 3 | volume = 51 | date = March 2006 | ||
| Line 114: | Line 70: | ||
| pmid = 16453062 | | pmid = 16453062 | ||
|display-authors=etal| doi-access = free}}</ref> | |display-authors=etal| doi-access = free}}</ref> | ||
=== Colonial period === | === Colonial period === | ||
Organized European [[colonization]] on the islands began with the [[Danish East India Company]] in 1754/56. During this time, they were administered from [[Tranquebar]] (in continental [[Danish India]]) under the name of '''Frederiksøerne'''. Missionaries from the [[Moravian Church]] Brethren's settlement in Tranquebar attempted a settlement on [[Nancowry Island|Nancowry]] and died in great numbers from disease. The islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of [[malaria]]: 1784–1807/09, 1830–1834, and finally from 1848, gradually for good. Between 1778 and 1783, [[William Bolts]] attempted to establish an [[Austrian colonization of the Nicobar Islands|Austrian colony on the islands]] on the mistaken assumption that [[Denmark–Norway]] had abandoned its claims to the islands.<ref name="ColVoy">{{cite web | |||
|url = http://www.colonialvoyage.com/DanishP.html | |url = http://www.colonialvoyage.com/DanishP.html | ||
|title = Chronoly of Danish Colonial Settlements | |title = Chronoly of Danish Colonial Settlements | ||
| Line 131: | Line 82: | ||
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050404001731/http://www.colonialvoyage.com/DanishP.html | |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050404001731/http://www.colonialvoyage.com/DanishP.html | ||
|archive-date = 4 April 2005 | |archive-date = 4 April 2005 | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
[[Italy]] | [[Italy]] attempted to buy the Nicobar Islands from Denmark between 1864 and 1865. The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, [[Luigi Torelli]], started a negotiation that looked promising but failed due to the unexpected end of his office and the [[second La Marmora Cabinet]]. The negotiations were interrupted and never brought up again.<ref>Ministero della Guerra, Ufficio Storico, Storia Militare della Colonia Eritrea, Vol. I, Roma 1935, pp. 15-16</ref> | ||
[[Denmark]]'s presence in the islands ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to | [[Denmark]]'s presence in the islands ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to the United Kingdom,<ref name="ColVoy" /> which, in 1869, made them part of [[British India]]. | ||
===Second World War=== | ===Second World War=== | ||
During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the islands were [[Invasion and occupation of the Andaman Islands during World War II|invaded and occupied by Japan between 1942 and 1945]]. In May 1945, | During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the islands were [[Invasion and occupation of the Andaman Islands during World War II|invaded and occupied by Japan between 1942 and 1945]]. In May 1945, {{HMS|Ceylon|30|6}} shelled Japanese positions on the islands. The British regained possession of the islands after the [[surrender of Japan]], announced on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945. After the war, Pakistani politician [[Choudhry Rahmat Ali]] proposed that the Nicobars (which he called the "Balus Islands") would have a sizeable Muslim population and thus would be integrated to the Dominion of [[Pakistan]]. However, this never materialised. | ||
===Indian | ===Indian union territory=== | ||
Together with the [[Andaman Islands]], | Together with the [[Andaman Islands]], it became part of India in 1950 and was declared as a [[union territory]] of the nation in 1956.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Planning Commission of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujf2N5O4iKgC|title=Andaman and Nicobar Islands Development Report|publisher=Academic Foundation|year=2008|isbn=978-81-7188-652-4|edition=illustrated|series=State Development Report series|access-date=12 March 2011}}</ref> | ||
===26 December 2004 tsunami=== | ===26 December 2004 tsunami=== | ||
On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Nicobar Islands was devastated by a | On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Nicobar Islands was devastated by a {{convert|10|to|15|m||adj=mid|-high}} [[tsunami]] following the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]]. At least 6,000 people were killed on the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] with reports putting the death toll on [[Katchal Island]] alone at 4,600{{Citation needed|reason=This contradicts the number 1549 mentioned here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katchal_Island (also with no reference attached)|date=January 2023}}. | ||
Several islands were heavily damaged with initial reports of islands broken in two or three pieces and coral reefs moved above water. Teressa Island was said to have been split into two pieces and Trinkat Island into three pieces. Some estimates said that the islands were moved as much as {{convert|100|ft|m|order=flip}} by the earthquake and tilted. | |||
[[Indira Point]] subsided {{convert|4.25|m}} and the lighthouse there was damaged. | |||
==Geography== | |||
The Nicobar Islands cover a land area of {{convert|1,841|km2}}<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Nicobar-Islands Nicobar Islands]. Encyclopedia Britannica.</ref> and a population of 36,844 inhabitants, according to the [[2011 census of India]]. They comprise three distinct groups: | |||
'''[[Car Nicobar Subdivision|Northern Group]]''': | |||
* [[Car Nicobar]] (Pū) | |||
* [[Battimalv Island|Battimalv]] (Kuono) | |||
'''[[Nancowry Subdivision|Central Group]]''': | |||
* [[Chowra Island|Chowra]], Chaura, or Sanenyo | |||
* [[Teressa Island|Teressa]] or Luroo | |||
* [[Bompuka Island|Bompuka]] or Poahat | |||
* [[Katchal Island|Katchal]] (Tihanyu or Tehnu) | |||
* [[Kamorta Island|Kamorta]] | |||
* [[Trinket Island|Trinket]] (Laful) | |||
* [[Nancowry Island|Nancowry]] (Nancowrie) | |||
* [[Tillangchong]] | |||
* [[Man Island (Nicobar Islands)|Laouk]] or "Isle of Man" | |||
'''[[Great Nicobar Subdivision|Southern Group]]''' (Sambelong in the [[Southern Nicobarese language]]): | |||
* [[Great Nicobar]] (Lo'ong) ({{cvt|922|km2||disp=or}}, largest island of the Nicobars) | |||
* [[Kondul Island]] (Lamongshe), located between [[Great Nicobar]] and [[Little Nicobar]] | |||
* Kabra Island, located between [[Great Nicobar]] and [[Little Nicobar]] | |||
* [[Little Nicobar]] (Ong) | |||
* [[Pulo Milo]] or Pillomilo (Milo Island) | |||
* Menchal Island (Pingaeyak) | |||
* Treis (Albatei) Island | |||
* Trak (Mafuya) Island | |||
* [[Meroe Island|Meroe]] (Piruii) | |||
* Pigeon Island | |||
* Megapod Island | |||
Indira Point ({{coord|6.756378|93.827765}}) is the southernmost point of Great Nicobar Island and also of India itself, lying about {{convert|150|km}} north of [[Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]]. | |||
[[ | ===Geology=== | ||
The Nicobar Islands are part of a great [[island arc]] created by the collision of the [[Indo-Australian Plate]] with [[Eurasia]]. The collision lifted the [[Himalayas]] and most of the Indonesian islands, and created a long arc of highlands and islands, which includes the [[Arakan Yoma]] range of [[Burma]], the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and the islands off the west coast of [[Sumatra]], including the [[Banyak Islands]] and the [[Mentawai Islands]].<ref name = wwf>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Nicobar Islands rain forests|id=im0133}}</ref> | |||
===Climate=== | |||
The climate is warm and tropical, with temperatures ranging from {{cvt|22|to|30|°C}}. Rainfall is heavy due to annual monsoons and measures around {{cvt|3000|to|3800|mm}} each year.<ref name = wwf/> | |||
===Ecology=== | |||
[[File:Caloenas nicobarica1.jpg|thumb|A [[Nicobar pigeon]]. While named after the Nicobar Islands, it is also found widely in the [[Malay Archipelago]]]] | |||
The Nicobar Islands are recognized as a distinct [[terrestrial ecoregion]], the [[Nicobar Islands rain forests|Nicobar Islands rainforests]], which host many [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] species.<ref name = wwf/> | |||
The vegetation of the Nicobars is typically divided into the coastal [[mangrove]] forests and the interior evergreen and deciduous [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]. Additionally, several islands contain extensive inland [[grassland]]s, though these are thought to have resulted from human intervention.<ref name = wwf/> | |||
As a result of lower sea levels during the [[ice age]]s, the Andaman Islands were linked to the Southeast Asian mainland, but it is not believed that the Nicobar Islands ever had a land bridge to the continent. Lower sea levels linked the islands to one another: Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar were linked to each other, and Nancowry, Chaura, Katchall, Trinka, Camorta, and the nearby smaller islands were linked to one another as well. | |||
{{See also|Endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands}} | |||
====Protected areas==== | |||
Protected areas include [[Campbell Bay National Park]] and [[Galathea National Park]] on Great Nicobar. | |||
A [[World Biosphere Reserve]] was declared on Grand Nicobar by [[UNESCO]] on 31 May 31 2013.<ref name=toi>{{cite news|title=''Nicobar Islands declared as world biosphere reserve''|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=31 May 2013|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Nicobar-Islands-declared-as-world-biosphere-reserve/articleshow/20358478.cms|access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref> The [[Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve]] consists of an area of {{convert|103,870|ha}}. The core area, which measures {{convert|53,623|ha}}, comprises Campbell Bay and Galathea National Parks. A buffer area of {{convert|34,877|ha}} includes lands adjacent to and between the two parks. There is also a transitional area of {{convert|10,070|ha}}, including {{convert|5,300|ha||adj=pre|marine}}.<ref>"Great Nicobar". Man and Biosphere Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Accessed 1 August 2021. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/asia-and-the-pacific/india/great-nicobar</ref><ref name = wwf/> | |||
==Population== | |||
{{Further|Nicobar district#Demographics}} | |||
{{historical populations|11=1901|12=6,511|13=1911|14=8,818|15=1921|16=9,272|17=1931|18=10,240|19=1941|20=12,452|21=1951|22=12,009|23=1961|24=14,563|25=1971|26=21,665|27=1981|28=30,454|29=1991|30=39,208|31=2001|32=42,068|33=2011|34=36,842|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]</ref>|align=right}} | |||
The islands had a population of 36,842 in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Demography {{!}} District Nicobar, Government of Andaman and Nicobar {{!}} India | url = https://nicobars.andaman.nic.in/demography/| access-date = 7 November 2022}}</ref> The indigenous ethnic groups are the [[Nicobarese people|Nicobarese]] and the [[Shompen people|Shompen]]. Local languages include [[Shompen language|Shompen]] and the languages of the tin [[Nicobarese languages|Nicobarese group]]. | |||
==Transportation== | ==Transportation== | ||
* Airport: [[Car Nicobar]] | * Airport: [[Car Nicobar]] has an airstrip on [[Car Nicobar Air Force Base]] of {{convert|2717|by|43|m}} on the South East coast near Malacca but does not offer commercial service. [[Great Nicobar]] has a small airstrip of approximately {{convert|1000|m}} at Campbell Bay/Tenlaa on its East Coast. | ||
* Seaport: At least one small shipping dock is located in Campbell Bay on the East coast of | * Seaport: At least one small shipping dock is located in Campbell Bay on the East coast of Great Nicobar. Car Nicobar has a small dock at its Northern tip near Keating Point and Mus. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Portal|India}} | |||
* [[Nicobarese people]] | * [[Nicobarese people]] | ||
* [[Nicobarese languages]] | * [[Nicobarese languages]] | ||
| Line 176: | Line 183: | ||
{{commons category}} | {{commons category}} | ||
* {{cite web | * {{cite web | ||
|url | |url = http://www.andaman.org/NICOBAR/text.htm | ||
|title | |title = Nicobarese and Shompen | ||
|publisher | |publisher = The Andaman Association | ||
|access-date = 1 July 2011 | |access-date = 1 July 2011 | ||
|url-status | |url-status = dead | ||
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110709082928/http://www.andaman.org/NICOBAR/text.htm | |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110709082928/http://www.andaman.org/NICOBAR/text.htm | ||
|archive-date = 9 July 2011 | |archive-date = 9 July 2011 | ||
|df | |df = dmy-all | ||
}}{{ | }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709082928/http://www.andaman.org/NICOBAR/text.htm |date=9 July 2011 }} | ||
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Andaman%20and%20Nicobar WorldStatesmen- India] | * [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Andaman%20and%20Nicobar WorldStatesmen- India] | ||
{{Andaman and Nicobar Islands}} | |||
{{Danish overseas empire|nocat=yes}} | {{Danish overseas empire|nocat=yes}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
| Line 196: | Line 201: | ||
[[Category:Archipelagoes of the Indian Ocean]]<!---cat sort position---> | [[Category:Archipelagoes of the Indian Ocean]]<!---cat sort position---> | ||
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Southeast Asia]]<!---cat sort position---> | [[Category:Archipelagoes of Southeast Asia]]<!---cat sort position---> | ||
[[Category:Islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]<!---cat sort position---> | [[Category:Islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | ||
[[Category:Archipelagoes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | |||
<!---cat sort position---> | |||
[[Category:Bay of Bengal]] | [[Category:Bay of Bengal]] | ||
[[Category:British India]] | [[Category:British India]] | ||
[[Category:Danish India]] | [[Category:Danish India]] | ||
[[Category:1750s in Danish India]] | |||
[[Category:Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]] | [[Category:Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]] | ||
[[Category:Maritime Southeast Asia]] | [[Category:Maritime Southeast Asia]] | ||
Latest revision as of 00:07, 15 March 2026
 Location of the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bay of Bengal |
| Coordinates | 7°05′N 93°48′E / 7.083°N 93.800°E |
| Archipelago | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| Total islands | 22 |
| Major islands | Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar |
| Area | 1,841 km2 (711 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 642 m (2106 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Thullier |
| Administration | |
| Union territory | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| Capital city | Port Blair (on South Andaman Island) |
| Largest settlement | Malacca, Car Nicobar (pop. 1,637) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 36,842 (2011) |
| Pop. density | 20/km2 (50/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Nicobarese Shompen Mainland Indians |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| • Summer (DST) |
|
| Official website | https://andaman.nic.in/ |
The Nicobar Islands /ˈnɪkəbɑːr/ are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, 150 kilometres (93 mi) northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) southeast of the Indian subcontinent, across the Bay of Bengal, they are part of India, as the Nicobar district within the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Together with the Andaman Islands to their north, the Nicobar Islands serve as a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east.
In 2013, UNESCO added the Great Nicobar Island to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves, a list of internationally designated protected areas.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The earliest extant references to the name "Nicobar" is in the Sri Lankan Pali Buddhist chronicles, the Dipavamsa (c. 3rd or 4th century CE) and the Mahavamsa (c. 4th or 5th century), which state that the children of the followers of the legendary founder of the Sri Lankan Kingdom, Vijaya, landed on Naggadipa (the island of the children, from the Pali nagga meaning 'naked').[2] In the ninth century, the Persian explorer Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī referred to the Nicobar Islands as Lanjabālūs.[3] The modern name is likely derived from the Chola dynasty name for the islands, Nakkavaram (may be referring to open/naked land or naked man's land in Tamil), which is inscribed on the Thanjavur (Tanjore) inscription of 1050 CE.[4][5][6] Marco Polo (12th-13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann'.
In the 15th century, Great Nicobar Island was recorded as "Cui Lan island" (翠蘭嶼) during the voyages of Zheng He in the Mao Kun map of the Wu Bei Zhi.[7]
Prehistory[edit | edit source]
The Nicobar Islands are believed to have been inhabited for several thousands of years. Six indigenous Nicobarese languages are spoken on the islands, which are part of the Austroasiatic language family, which include the Mon, Khmer, and Vietnamese languages of Southeast Asia, as well as the Munda languages of India. An indigenous tribe living at the southern tip of Great Nicobar, known as the Shompen, may be of Mesolithic Southeast Asian origin.[8]
Colonial period[edit | edit source]
Organized European colonization on the islands began with the Danish East India Company in 1754/56. During this time, they were administered from Tranquebar (in continental Danish India) under the name of Frederiksøerne. Missionaries from the Moravian Church Brethren's settlement in Tranquebar attempted a settlement on Nancowry and died in great numbers from disease. The islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria: 1784–1807/09, 1830–1834, and finally from 1848, gradually for good. Between 1778 and 1783, William Bolts attempted to establish an Austrian colony on the islands on the mistaken assumption that Denmark–Norway had abandoned its claims to the islands.[9]
Italy attempted to buy the Nicobar Islands from Denmark between 1864 and 1865. The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, Luigi Torelli, started a negotiation that looked promising but failed due to the unexpected end of his office and the second La Marmora Cabinet. The negotiations were interrupted and never brought up again.[10]
Denmark's presence in the islands ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to the United Kingdom,[9] which, in 1869, made them part of British India.
Second World War[edit | edit source]
During the Second World War, the islands were invaded and occupied by Japan between 1942 and 1945. In May 1945, HMS Ceylon shelled Japanese positions on the islands. The British regained possession of the islands after the surrender of Japan, announced on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945. After the war, Pakistani politician Choudhry Rahmat Ali proposed that the Nicobars (which he called the "Balus Islands") would have a sizeable Muslim population and thus would be integrated to the Dominion of Pakistan. However, this never materialised.
Indian union territory[edit | edit source]
Together with the Andaman Islands, it became part of India in 1950 and was declared as a union territory of the nation in 1956.[11]
26 December 2004 tsunami[edit | edit source]
On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Nicobar Islands was devastated by a 10-to-15-metre-high (33 to 49 ft) tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At least 6,000 people were killed on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with reports putting the death toll on Katchal Island alone at 4,600[citation needed].
Several islands were heavily damaged with initial reports of islands broken in two or three pieces and coral reefs moved above water. Teressa Island was said to have been split into two pieces and Trinkat Island into three pieces. Some estimates said that the islands were moved as much as 30 metres (100 ft) by the earthquake and tilted.
Indira Point subsided 4.25 metres (13.9 ft) and the lighthouse there was damaged.
Geography[edit | edit source]
The Nicobar Islands cover a land area of 1,841 square kilometres (711 sq mi)[12] and a population of 36,844 inhabitants, according to the 2011 census of India. They comprise three distinct groups:
- Car Nicobar (Pū)
- Battimalv (Kuono)
- Chowra, Chaura, or Sanenyo
- Teressa or Luroo
- Bompuka or Poahat
- Katchal (Tihanyu or Tehnu)
- Kamorta
- Trinket (Laful)
- Nancowry (Nancowrie)
- Tillangchong
- Laouk or "Isle of Man"
Southern Group (Sambelong in the Southern Nicobarese language):
- Great Nicobar (Lo'ong) (922 km2 or 356 sq mi, largest island of the Nicobars)
- Kondul Island (Lamongshe), located between Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar
- Kabra Island, located between Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar
- Little Nicobar (Ong)
- Pulo Milo or Pillomilo (Milo Island)
- Menchal Island (Pingaeyak)
- Treis (Albatei) Island
- Trak (Mafuya) Island
- Meroe (Piruii)
- Pigeon Island
- Megapod Island
Indira Point (6°45′23″N 93°49′40″E / 6.756378°N 93.827765°E) is the southernmost point of Great Nicobar Island and also of India itself, lying about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Geology[edit | edit source]
The Nicobar Islands are part of a great island arc created by the collision of the Indo-Australian Plate with Eurasia. The collision lifted the Himalayas and most of the Indonesian islands, and created a long arc of highlands and islands, which includes the Arakan Yoma range of Burma, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and the islands off the west coast of Sumatra, including the Banyak Islands and the Mentawai Islands.[13]
Climate[edit | edit source]
The climate is warm and tropical, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 30 °C (72 to 86 °F). Rainfall is heavy due to annual monsoons and measures around 3,000 to 3,800 mm (120 to 150 in) each year.[13]
Ecology[edit | edit source]
The Nicobar Islands are recognized as a distinct terrestrial ecoregion, the Nicobar Islands rainforests, which host many endemic species.[13]
The vegetation of the Nicobars is typically divided into the coastal mangrove forests and the interior evergreen and deciduous tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Additionally, several islands contain extensive inland grasslands, though these are thought to have resulted from human intervention.[13]
As a result of lower sea levels during the ice ages, the Andaman Islands were linked to the Southeast Asian mainland, but it is not believed that the Nicobar Islands ever had a land bridge to the continent. Lower sea levels linked the islands to one another: Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar were linked to each other, and Nancowry, Chaura, Katchall, Trinka, Camorta, and the nearby smaller islands were linked to one another as well.
Protected areas[edit | edit source]
Protected areas include Campbell Bay National Park and Galathea National Park on Great Nicobar.
A World Biosphere Reserve was declared on Grand Nicobar by UNESCO on 31 May 31 2013.[14] The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve consists of an area of 103,870 hectares (256,700 acres). The core area, which measures 53,623 hectares (132,510 acres), comprises Campbell Bay and Galathea National Parks. A buffer area of 34,877 hectares (86,180 acres) includes lands adjacent to and between the two parks. There is also a transitional area of 10,070 hectares (24,900 acres), including 5,300 marine hectares (13,000 acres).[15][13]
Population[edit | edit source]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 6,511 | — |
| 1911 | 8,818 | +3.08% |
| 1921 | 9,272 | +0.50% |
| 1931 | 10,240 | +1.00% |
| 1941 | 12,452 | +1.98% |
| 1951 | 12,009 | −0.36% |
| 1961 | 14,563 | +1.95% |
| 1971 | 21,665 | +4.05% |
| 1981 | 30,454 | +3.46% |
| 1991 | 39,208 | +2.56% |
| 2001 | 42,068 | +0.71% |
| 2011 | 36,842 | −1.32% |
| source:[16] | ||
The islands had a population of 36,842 in 2011.[17] The indigenous ethnic groups are the Nicobarese and the Shompen. Local languages include Shompen and the languages of the tin Nicobarese group.
Transportation[edit | edit source]
- Airport: Car Nicobar has an airstrip on Car Nicobar Air Force Base of 2,717 by 43 metres (8,914 by 141 ft) on the South East coast near Malacca but does not offer commercial service. Great Nicobar has a small airstrip of approximately 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) at Campbell Bay/Tenlaa on its East Coast.
- Seaport: At least one small shipping dock is located in Campbell Bay on the East coast of Great Nicobar. Car Nicobar has a small dock at its Northern tip near Keating Point and Mus.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Nicobarese people
- Nicobarese languages
- Shompen people
- Austrian colonization of the Nicobar Islands
- 1881 Nicobar Islands earthquake
- Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
- Great Nicobar
- Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
- Indian Ocean
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [1], The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), added the following new sites to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/multimedia/photos/mab-2013/india/.
- ↑ Wilhelm Geiger (Tr) (1912). The Mahavamsa or The Great Chronicle of Ceylon (PDF). Pali Text Society. ISBN 978-81-206-0218-2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
P54 "The island where the children landed was called Naggadipa..." N: "l That is,'Island of children', from nagga 'naked'..."
"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī (2017). Accounts of China and India. New York University Press.
- ↑ C Rasanayagam (1926). Ancient Jaffna. Asian Educational Society (reprint). ISBN 978-81-206-0210-6.
P53 "Naggadipa, where the children are alleged to have landed, is certainly Nicobars, the Nakkavaram of the Tamils, ...
- ↑ John Keay (2001). India: A History. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-3797-5.
... and 'Nakkavaram' certainly represents the Nicobar islands ...
- ↑ The New Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. 1998. ISBN 978-0-85229-633-2. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
... The name Nicobar probably is derived from Nakkavaram ("Land of the Naked") ...
- ↑ "Wu Bei Zhi Map 17". Library of Congress.
- ↑ Rajni Trivedi; et al. (March 2006). "Molecular insights into the origins of the Shompen, a declining population of the Nicobar archipelago". Journal of Human Genetics. 51 (3): 217–226. doi:10.1007/s10038-005-0349-2. PMID 16453062.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ramerini, Marco. "Chronoly of Danish Colonial Settlements". ColonialVoyage.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
- ↑ Ministero della Guerra, Ufficio Storico, Storia Militare della Colonia Eritrea, Vol. I, Roma 1935, pp. 15-16
- ↑ Planning Commission of India (2008). Andaman and Nicobar Islands Development Report. State Development Report series (illustrated ed.). Academic Foundation. ISBN 978-81-7188-652-4. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ↑ Nicobar Islands. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 "Nicobar Islands rain forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ↑ "Nicobar Islands declared as world biosphere reserve". The Times of India. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ↑ "Great Nicobar". Man and Biosphere Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Accessed 1 August 2021. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/asia-and-the-pacific/india/great-nicobar
- ↑ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
- ↑ "Demography | District Nicobar, Government of Andaman and Nicobar | India". Retrieved 7 November 2022.
External links[edit | edit source]
- "Nicobarese and Shompen". The Andaman Association. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011. Archived 9 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- WorldStatesmen- India