News Highlight
G20 ambassadors will be flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands later this month for the Ministry of External Affairs and ‘Sherpa’ briefing on logistics for 2023.
Key Takeaway
- The “off-site” for about 30-40 diplomats would take place at the Havelock Islands Taj Exotica hotel on November 25-27.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- About
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, or Emerald Islands, is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 38 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
- Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands, lies in South Andaman.
- Islands
- It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 150 km wide Ten Degree Channel (on the 10°N parallel).
- Divisions
- The Andaman islands are divided into three main islands, i.e. North, Middle, and South.
- Duncan passage
- Duncan’s passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
- The Coco Strait
- The Coco Strait is between the North Andaman islands and the Coco Islands of Myanmar.
- Features
- The island chains are thought to be a submerged extension of the Arakan Mountains.
- The Islands have dense tropical rainforests.
- Active volcanoes
- The Barren and Narcondam Islands north of Port Blair – are the only active volcanoes in India.
- Highest peak
- Saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.
- Ritchie’s Archipelago
- Ritchie’s Archipelago is a cluster of smaller islands which lie 20 km east of Great Andaman, and Neil Island and Havelock Island are in Ritchie’s Archipelago.
- Renaming of islands
- Ross Island in South Andaman has been renamed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep
- Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep
- The Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep.
- Particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
- Great Andamanese of Strait Island
- Onges of Little Andaman
- Jarawas of South and Middle Andaman
- Sentinelese of Sentinel Islands
- Shompens of Great Nicobar
- Languages
- Hindi and English are the official languages of the islands. However, Bengali is the dominant and most spoken language, with 26% of the population speaking Bengali.
Content Source: The Hindu