37-583: Great Nicobar is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands of India , north of Sumatra . It is part of India , in the Nicobar district within the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . The Nicobar Island has been well known to Indian mariners since the time of the seafaring Cholas . In the 15th century, Great Nicobar Island was recorded as "Cui Lan island" (翠蘭嶼) during
74-407: A megapode bird), the edible-nest swiftlet ( Aerodramus fuciphagus ), the Nicobar long-tailed macaque ( Macaca fascicularis umbrosa ), saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ), giant leatherback sea turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea ), Malayan box turtle , Nicobar tree shrew , reticulated python ( Python reticulatus ) and the giant robber crab (or coconut crab, Birgus latro ). The island
111-597: A 21 km road from Shashtri Nagar to Indira Point via a bridge on the Galathea river . The total length of the road from Zero Point to Indira Point will be 56 km and it will completed within next few years (c. 2017). This area is protected by the Indian Coast Guard . Galathea National Park and Lighthouse are the major attractions here. The village comes under the administration of Laxmi Nagar panchayat . The village lost many of its residents in
148-482: A distinct terrestrial ecoregion , the Nicobar Islands rain forests , with many endemic species. 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. As
185-463: A helipad. The tsunami which resulted from the Indian Ocean earthquake of 2004 inundated much of the area. This partly damaged the lighthouse , which subsided 4.25 m. As a result of this subsidence, the coast retreated and the sea moved permanently inland. The lighthouse has since been repaired. The base of the lighthouse was 5 m above sea level when constructed in 1972. After the tsunami,
222-461: A major transshipment port, airport, and future strategic defense) for the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, India. The plan has generated criticism over the consequences of deforestation and giant leatherback sea turtle nesting sites. The plan was proposed on 18 January 2021 by an Indian policy think tank (NITI Aayog) and informed by a feasibility report written by AECOM India Private Limited. Environmental Justice groups have pushed back claiming that
259-506: A north–south orientation. Mount Thullier , which is part of this range, has the highest elevation of any point in the Nicobars, at 642 m above sea level . Indira Point (6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E) is the southernmost point of the Great Nicobar Island and India itself. Indira Point subsided 4.25 m in the 26 December 2004 tsunami and the lighthouse there was damaged. The lighthouse was subsequently made functional. The island
296-573: A population of 36,842 in 2011. The indigenous ethnic groups are the Nicobarese and the Shompen . Local languages include Shompen and the languages of the tin Nicobarese group . The Nicobar Islands are believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years. Six indigenous Nicobarese languages are spoken on the islands, which are part of the Austroasiatic language family , which includes
333-469: A population of 8067. It is largely covered by rainforest and known for its diverse wildlife . The island has several rivers, including the Alexandra, Amrit Kaur, Dogmar and Galathea. Virtually all rivers flow in a southern or southwesterly direction, which is indicative of the general slope of the terrain across the island. There are undulating hills throughout the island, with the main range running in
370-516: A port at Sabang to protect the channel between Great Nicobar Island and Rondo Island (c. May 2019). Indira Point has a 35 m high cast iron (with red and white bands) lighthouse with 16 nautical miles range. The lighthouse has (RACON (Code 'G') ii DGPS station) with a 300 mm 4 panel revolving light inside a 2.5 m diameter lantern house (BBT). It is an important landmark on the international shipping lane Colombo-Singapore route via Malacca Strait that passes south of Indira Point. It also has
407-761: 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 did link 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 include Campbell Bay National Park and Galathea National Park on Great Nicobar. A World Biosphere Reserve
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#1732772894980444-493: Is 612 km or 330 nautical miles from Indira Point. This village was named Indira Point after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . The point was formerly known as Pygmalion Point and Parsons Point . It was renamed in honour of Indira Gandhi during mid-1980s. The announcement was made by the local Member of Parliament when Indira Gandhi visited the local light house on 19 February 1984. The official renaming ceremony happened on 10 October 1985. The Indira Point lighthouse
481-401: Is connected to mainland India via air service. From Port Blair, Campbell Bay can be reached by Pawan Hans Helicopter service. Inter Island Boat from Port Blair is also available which usually travels via Little Andaman, Car Nicobar and Nancowry en route to Campbell Bay. MV Campbell Bay also operates once in a week from Port Blair (Phoenix Bay) to Campbell Bay. Government is also constructing
518-546: Is expected to impose a significant ecological pressure on the island and its surroundings. Indira Point is the name of the southernmost point of Republic of India . It is situated on Great Nicobar Island in the Nicobar Islands , which are located in the eastern Indian Ocean at 6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E. This is not on the Indian mainland, but within the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands . The name of
555-594: Is home to the Shompen people . There is a 915m airstrip at Campbell Bay/Tenlaa on the East coast. The INS Baaz naval air station , near Campbell Bay , is under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) of the Indian Armed Forces . It is the southernmost air station of the Indian Armed Forces. The Great Nicobar Development Plan is a massive infrastructure plan (including
592-754: Is inscribed on the Thanjavur (Tanjore) inscription of 1050 CE. 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 . Organised European colonisation 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
629-577: Is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil . Rondo Island , Indonesia's northernmost island in Sabang district of Aceh province of Sumatra , lies 163 km south of Little Andaman Island, and 145 km or 80 nautical miles from Indira Point. India and Indonesia are upgrading the deep sea port Sabang under the strategic military and economic collaboration to protect the channel between Great Nicobar Island and Rondo Island (c. May 2019), which
666-490: Is part of the Nicobar Islands rain forests ecoregion . Plant communities include mangroves and coastal forests near the seashore, and evergreen and deciduous forests in the interior. The majority of the island is designated as the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve — home to many unique and endemic species of plants and animals including the Nicobar scrubfowl ( Megapodius nicobariensis ,
703-599: Is the southernmost point of Great Nicobar Island and also of India itself, lying about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of Sumatra , Indonesia . 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
740-681: 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 . 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. The Nicobar Islands are recognised as
777-612: The voyages of Zheng He in the Mao Kun map of the Wu Bei Zhi . The Nicobar islands were claimed by Denmark in 1755; Great Nicobar Island was called New Denmark , and the whole of the Nicobars Frederikøerne . The islands were administered from the Tranquebar the headquarters of the Danish East Indian company, but were often abandoned due to Malaria outbreaks. The rights to the islands were sold to
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#1732772894980814-578: The British in 1868 along with the rest of the Danish holdings in India. Great Nicobar Island was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami with many deaths, and was cut off from all outside contact for over a day. Great Nicobar is located 180 km (110 mi) to the north of the island of Sumatra . The island covers 921 km (356 sq mi) but is sparsely inhabited, with
851-792: The Mon , Khmer , and Vietnamese languages of Southeast Asia , and the Munda languages of India. An indigenous tribe living at the southern tip of Great Nicobar called the Shompen, may be of Mesolithic Southeast Asian origin. 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
888-429: 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 . Several islands were heavily damaged with initial reports of islands broken in two or three pieces and coral reefs moved above water. Teressa Island
925-743: 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'). In the ninth century, the Persian explorer Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī referred to the Nicobar Islands as Lanjabālūs. 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
962-562: The development plan would make it unlikely that the leatherback sea turtles would continue to nest in the Galathea Bay and negatively impact the nomadic livelihoods of the indigenous Shompen people. The NITI Aayog plan envisages 650,000 people inhabiting the island by 2050. Its current population is only around 8,500. In fact, the total population of the archipelago, composed of over 500 islands of which only around 40 are inhabited, is around 380,000. The population increase
999-748: 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
1036-639: The east. UNESCO has declared the Great Nicobar Island as one of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves . The Nicobar Islands cover a land area of 1,841 square kilometres (711 sq mi) and had a population of 36,844 during the 2011 Census . They comprise three distinct groups: Northern Group : Central Group : Southern Group (Sambelong): Indira Point ( 6°45′23″N 93°49′40″E / 6.756378°N 93.827765°E / 6.756378; 93.827765 )
1073-472: The islands on the mistaken assumption that Denmark–Norway had abandoned its claims to the islands. 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. Denmark 's presence in
1110-654: The islands ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to the UK, which, in 1869, made them part of British India . 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
1147-538: 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
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1184-622: The point was changed from Pygmalion Point on 18 October 1985 in commemoration of Indira Gandhi . It was formerly known by various names that include Pygmalion Point, Parsons Point, and for a brief period India Point. It is located 540 km and more than a day's sea voyage from Port Blair, the capital city and main port of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . It is approximately 163 km by sea from Sumatra, Indonesia. Rondo Island , Indonesia's northernmost island in Sabang district of Aceh province of Sumatra , lies south of Indira point. India and Indonesia are planning to collaborate to construct
1221-577: The sea floor fell and the base was less than 1 m above sea level. Since then, the subsidence has decreased somewhat as the ocean floor slowly rebounds, and the lighthouse base become more elevated. Indira point was mostly submerged. Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands / ˈ n ɪ k ə b ɑːr / 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
1258-455: The war, 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 . This hasn't materialized either. Together with the Andaman Islands , it became part of India in 1950 and was declared as a union territory of the nation in 1956. On 26 December 2004, the coast of
1295-427: Was commissioned into service on 30 April 1972. Located 500 kilometres north of the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake , the southernmost tip subsided 4.25 metres (13.9 ft) after the earthquake, and many of the inhabitants went missing in the tsunami that followed. Sixteen to twenty families living next to the lighthouse and four scientists studying leatherback sea turtles were lost. Port Blair
1332-486: Was declared on Grand Nicobar by UNESCO on May 31, 2013. Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve has a total area of 103,870 hectares (256,700 acres). The core area of 53,623 hectares (132,510 acres) comprises Cambell 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). The islands had
1369-535: 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. Indira Point Indira Point , the southernmost point of India's territory, is a village in the Nicobar district at Great Nicobar Island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India . It
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