Nicobar district
Nicobar district is one of three districts in the Indian Union Territory (UT) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The district's administrative territory encompasses all of the Nicobar Islands, which are located in the Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal, bordering with the Andaman Sea). The area covered by this district is 1841 km². The headquarters of the district is located on the island of Car Nicobar.
The district administration is headed by a Deputy Commissioner, who in turn reports into the Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
It is the fifth least populous district in the country (out of 640).
Etymology
Falling between the sea route from South India / Sri Lanka to South East Asia and vice-vers, the voyagers referred it as “land of the nake” i.e. Nakkavar which is perhaps the direct Predecessor of the current name “Nicobar’. The medieval Arabic name ‘Lankhabatus’ is a mere mistranscription and misapprehension of “Nankakar or Nakkavar”.
History
The district was created on August 1, 1974, when it was separated off from Andaman district.
