The Andaman and Nicobar Islands /ndmn/ & /nkbr/ ( local (helpinfo)) are a group of islands at the juncture

of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, and are a Union Territory of India. The territory is 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailandand Burma by the Andaman Sea. It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 10 N parallel, with the Andamans to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to the south. The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west. The territory's capital is the Andamanese town of Port Blair. The total land area of the 2 territory is approximately 8,073 km (3,117 sq mi). The capital of Nicobar Islands isCar Nicobar also known as Malacca. The capital of the union territory, Port Blair, is located 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata, [11]:33 1,200 km (750 mi) from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai. The northernmost point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is 901 km (560 mi) away from the mouth of the Hooghly River and 190 km (120 mi) from Burma. Indira Point at 64510N and 934936E at the southern tip of the southernmost island, Great Nicoba r, is the southernmost point of India and lies only 150 km (93 mi) from Sumatra in Indonesia

Culture

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are characterized by two distinct native cultures. One is of the Negrito population in the Andamans and the other is of the Autochthones, i.e. the Mongoloid Nicobarese and Shompen. Both during pre- and post-British periods and even after Independence, these two cultures have maintained their distinct identities. The original native group in the Andamans is the Onges, who live in Little Andaman. Onges, like other Andamanese tribes, are of Negrito origin. They practice food - gathering, hunting, honey - collecting and fishing, and are the only tribe on the islands, who freely accept contact with the outside world. In the Nicobars, the only aboriginals are the Shompens, who are averse to any contact with the outside world. The Nicobarese, the largest group, seem to be of mixed Burmese, Malay, Mon and Shan origin. They are a friendly and cheerful lot, who do not accept money and prefer the barter system. Communing with the dead is one of the many intriguing rituals practiced in Nicobar. The special festive celebrations of particular groups include Durgapuja for the Bengalis, Panguni Uthiram for the Tamils, Pongal for the Telugus and Onam for the Malayalis. The Local Born of the Andamans, who are divided into Hindus, Muslims and Christians, celebrate the festivals of all the three religions. Some of their main festivals are Shivratri, Janmastami, Holi, Diwali, Ramanavami, Idd, Christmas, Good Friday etc. All three religious groups among the locals participate in one another's festivals. Thus the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, irrespective of the regions that they originally come from or the religion they practice or the language or dialect they speak have many common

cultural traits. A remarkable feature of Andaman and Nicobar society is the amicable co-existence of the people belonging to the different religions. Communal violence is unheard of here. There is amicable participation of all in religious festivals and the incidence of inter-religious marriages is increasing.

Fair & Festivals

People of concerned religious groups celebrate the remaining festivals but remarkable thing is that People from all religious groups participate in one another's festivals without any hesitation. All religions celebrate their own festivals according to their economic status and style. Here Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs are all treated as equal. Inter caste and religion marrige is also common thing. This unity is a specialty given by history and goes a long way in promoting the socio-cultural integrated festivals in Andaman islands. Besides the religious festivals like Deepavali, Ramzan, Christmas etc., among the popular festivals, the most important festivals are linked with Hindu culture, traditions and faith. They are:1. Kali pooja 2. Durga Pooja 3. Deepavali 4. Shivaratri 5. Ganesh pooja 6. Gurunanak jayanti 7. Holi 8. Ayappa Pooja 9. Mariamman Thiruvizha 10. Nag panchami 11. Panguni Utthiram 12. Pongal 13. Pradhosha pooja 14. Ram Navami 15. Ramzan 16. Sankata Hara Chaturthi pooja 17. Saraswati pooja 18. Christmas 19. Vasant panchami 20. Villakku pooja

Climate:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands climate is a warm tropical climate, with the presence of irregular rainfall during the south-west monsoon. Sea breezes are also common in the tropical climate of Andaman and Nicobar. The climate in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is characterized with a minimum of 23 C temperature; the maximum temperature in the Andaman and Nicobar climate is 31 C. Thus, it can be said that the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is moderate: the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold in the Island. Another typical feature of Andaman and Nicobar Islands climate is humidity. Andaman and Nicobar Islands is located in the Bay of Bengal; therefore, it goes without mention that the humidity in Andaman and Nicobar is relatively higher. The relative humidity in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 70 to 90% Moreover, there is no extreme in the climate at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, except the rains and storms. Andaman and Nicobar Islands experience monsoon season in two phases: May to mid September and November to mid December. From November to December, Andaman and Nicobar group of islands witnesses north-easterly gale; and from May to October, the climate experiences south-westerly gale: it is only between January to April that Andaman and Nicobar Islands experiences calm weather. Further, talking about the monsoon of Andaman and Nicobar, it can be said that the average annual rainfall of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 318 centimeters. Rough weather prevail during the monsoon season in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. During the monsoon season, the climate at Andaman and Nicobar ranges from 22.5 C to 29.9 C. Thus, it is evident that the climate of Andaman and Nicobar is a tropical type of climate with variations during the monsoon season.

Traditional equipment:

"Wave Dancer" is the only dive boat of its kind on the island. Built in Phuket, Thailand, she is a 36 foot fiber glass speed boat with 2 x 250 HP Yamaha 4 stroke engines and can carry upto 20 guests. Her maximum speed is 30 Knots. With lovely interiors and a nice open area in the forward part of the boat for sun bathing. We organize dive trips and safaris subject to a minimum number of guests using this boat due to its speed and comfort. TBA is a locally made fiberglass boat that can hold up to eight divers, she is currently under modification. This will be used primary for local dive sites and in good calm sea more far out dive locations. Wooden Boat "SS Jet" is an Indonesian wooden boat which has recently joined our fleet she travels between 8 10 knots and is about 36 feet in length. She is a comfortable boat with enough space for racks and covered seating. She can hold between 15 18 divers.

Rock N Rolla: a traditional Burmese boat which has been the popular mode of ocean transport in the Andamans since they are very durable and parts are easy to obtain. We have converted her so that she is suitable for diving.

Cultivation

Agriculture
Andaman and Nicobar Islands agriculture have come a long way in this important sector though the land available for this purpose is very limited and restricted within 6% of the total area of this place. Due to the need to increase the fertility of this land, intense measures have been taken to bring scientific revolution to increase the production capability. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are full of exotic natural varieties and thus it inspires the peasants of that land to devote themselves into agriculture.Agriculture crops in Andaman and Nicobar Islands include vegetables, which are cultivated during summer season when the climate is quite favorable for food productivity. The vegetable cultivation of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands includes vegetables like radish, lobia, brinjal, bhindi, poi, cucurbits, marsa, etc. which are mainly cultivated in Kharif season.Agriculture of Andaman and Nicobar Island also produces vegetables like knolkhol, tomato, capsicum, cauliflower etc which are mainly winter season vegetables. Andaman and Nicobar Islands agriculture has very recently included the hilly areas to promote plantation of different spices crops and fruits. The climatic condition of this island is favorable for the production of fruits. The hilly areas are best used for horticulture, with cultivation of crops like coconut and fruits like pineapple, guava, jackfruit, mango, citrus fruits and other special fruits specially found in this island.Agriculture at Andaman and Nicobar Islands also includes red oil palm, rubber, cashew nut cultivation. Andaman and Nicobar Islands agriculture is limited within 50000 hectares. Only 12000 hectares of land are flat, which is best suited for agriculture. During the kharif season paddy becomes the prime field crop. A minimum amount of oilseeds and pulses cultivation could be seen in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To give a hike to the production power for the agriculture of Andaman and Nicobar Islands the farmers of these islands are allotted with 2 hectares of paddy and 2 hectares of hilly land.

Foods:
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands cuisine mainly comprises of sea food. These are mostly found in the hotels and restaurants of the island. The people of this Union Territory are deprived of many facilities till date and thus are living far behind the civilization. The food of the Andaman and Nicobar people are mainly the sea foods which are very common in this place. The people there are mainly non vegetarians depending primarily on sea foods.

The food of the Andamanese mainly comprises of non-veg items like meat. They also intake a lot of fruits that are found in abundance in the forests of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Most of the peasants of the island were hunters at a time. As such they used to feed on flesh of birds and wild animals. For a long time, the usage of fire was unknown to them. Tropical foods are found in the hilly parts of this island. Mango, banana, orange, pineapple, guava are some common fruits that are found in the markets of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Due to the increasing attractions of the visitors towards this place many restaurants have grown up who are preparing delicious Indian, Chinese and Continental food items. But original Andaman foods could hardly be found there. The Andaman food prepared from fish are a very popular cuisine of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Since fish is found in abundance in the sea, so people of Andaman like to take more and more fish in their meal.