121-626: North Sentinel Island is one of the Andaman Islands , an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal which also includes South Sentinel Island . The island is a protected area of India. It is home to the Sentinelese , an indigenous tribe in voluntary isolation who have defended, often by force, their protected isolation from the outside world. The island is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) long and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) wide, and its area
242-471: A government-in-exile , while Leopold and his family were placed under house arrest. In 1944, they were moved to Germany and then Austria, before being liberated by the Americans, but banned for some years from returning to Belgium, where his brother Prince Charles, Count of Flanders , had been declared regent. Leopold's eventual return to his homeland in 1950 nearly caused a civil war, with serious calls for
363-505: A " diarchy " during this period. In retirement, he followed his passion as an amateur social anthropologist and entomologist and travelled the world, collecting zoological specimens. Two species of reptiles are named after him, Gehyra leopoldi and Polemon leopoldi . Leopold died in 1983 in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert ( Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe ) following emergency heart surgery. He was interred next to Queen Astrid in
484-536: A RAP. In these cases, the permits must be pre-approved prior to arrival in Port Blair. On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Andaman Islands was devastated by a 10-metre-high (33 ft) tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake , which is the longest recorded earthquake, lasting for between 500 and 600 seconds. Strong oral traditions in the area warned of the importance of moving inland after
605-433: A Restricted Area Permit (RAP), foreign visitors must still show their passport at Immigration at Port Blair Airport and Seaport for verification. Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, or other foreign nationals whose origin is any of these countries, are still required to obtain a RAP to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Similarly, citizens of Myanmar who wish to visit Mayabunder or Diglipur must also apply for
726-821: A few smaller Burmese islands are closer, including the three Coco Islands. The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andamans from the Nicobar Islands to the south. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island ( Saddle Peak at 732 m (2,402 ft)). The geology of the Andaman islands consists essentially of Late Jurassic to Early Eocene ophiolites and sedimentary rocks ( argillaceous and algal limestones ), deformed by numerous deep faults and thrusts with ultramafic igneous intrusions . There are at least 11 mud volcanoes on
847-528: A letter to Churchill saying that Churchill was wrong. Churchill sent a copy of this letter to the King's brother, Prince Charles , via his secretary André de Staercke. In his own letter Churchill wrote, With regards to King Leopold, the words which I used at the time in the House of Commons are upon record and after careful consideration I do not see any reason to change them (...) it seemed to me and many others that
968-414: A new government under the direction of Hitler, potentially a treasonous act. Leopold thought that he might be seen as a deserter if he were to leave the country: "Whatever happens, I have to share the same fate as my troops." Leopold had long had a difficult and contentious relationship with his ministers, acting independently of government influence whenever possible, and seeking to circumvent and even limit
1089-502: A number of animals, many of them endemic. Andaman & Nicobar islands are home to 10% of all Indian fauna species. The islands are only 0.25% of the country's geographical area, but has 11,009 species, according to a publication by the Zoological Survey of India . The island's endemic mammals include The banded pig ( Sus scrofa vittatus ), also known as the Andaman wild boar and once thought to be an endemic subspecies,
1210-518: A possible invasion by Axis forces, for during the 1930s the Belgian government had made extensive preparations to deter and repel an invasion of the country by Germany such as the one that had occurred in 1914. On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht invaded Belgium. On the first day of the offensive, the principal Belgian strong point of Fort Eben-Emael was overwhelmed by a daring paratroop operation and
1331-399: A public statement about Belgium's future independence. Hitler refused to speak about the independence of Belgium or issue a statement about it. In refusing to publish a statement, Hitler preserved the king from being seen as cooperating with Germany, and thus engaged in treasonous acts, which would likely have obliged him to abdicate upon the liberation of Belgium. "The [German] Chancellor saved
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#17327660964591452-437: A quake and is credited with saving many lives. In the aftermath, more than 2,000 people were confirmed dead and more than 4,000 children were orphaned or had lost one parent. At least 40,000 residents were rendered homeless and were moved to relief camps. On 11 August 2009, a magnitude 7 earthquake struck near the Andaman Islands, causing a tsunami warning to go into effect. On 30 March 2010, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near
1573-471: A religious ceremony in Brussels on 10 November. The marriage produced three children: On 29 August 1935, while the king and queen were driving along the winding, narrow roads near their villa at Küssnacht am Rigi , Schwyz , Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Lucerne , Leopold lost control of the car which plunged into the lake, killing Queen Astrid. Leopold married Lilian Baels on 11 September 1941, in
1694-440: A roughly square outline. North Sentinel is surrounded by coral reefs, and lacks natural harbours. The entire island, other than the shore, is forested. There is a narrow, white-sand beach encircling the island, behind which the ground rises 20 metres (66 ft), and then gradually to between 46 and 122 metres (151 and 400 ft) near the centre. Reefs extend around the island to between 0.9 and 1.5 km (0.5–0.8 nmi) from
1815-672: A secessionist republic in Wallonia . Under pressure from the government, he abdicated in favour of his son Baudouin in July 1951. Leopold's first wife, Astrid of Sweden , died in a road accident while on a driving holiday in Switzerland in August 1935, being much mourned by the public. Leopold, who was driving the vehicle when it hit a tree, was also lightly injured. His morganatic second marriage, to Lilian Baels in captivity in 1941,
1936-673: A secret religious ceremony which was not valid under the law of Belgium . They originally intended to wait until the end of the war for the civil marriage, but as the new Princess of Réthy was soon expecting their first child, the ceremony took place on 6 December 1941. They had three children in total: When World War II broke out in September 1939, the French and British governments immediately sought to persuade Belgium to join them. Leopold and his government refused, maintaining Belgium's neutrality. Belgium considered itself well-prepared against
2057-512: A suitable agreement with Leopold III. They sent Pierlot's son-in-law as an emissary to Leopold in January 1944, carrying a letter offering reconciliation from the Belgian government-in-exile. The letter never reached its destination, however, as the son-in-law was killed by the Germans en route. The ministers did not know what happened either to the message or the messenger and assumed that Leopold
2178-459: A timber company and released when the company went bankrupt. This population has been subject to research studies. Endemic or near endemic birds include The islands' many caves , such as those at Chalis Ek are nesting grounds for the edible-nest swiftlet , whose nests are prized in China for bird's nest soup . The islands also have a number of endemic reptiles , toads and frogs , such as
2299-404: Is also considered a globally Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International , as despite the lack of surveys, the pristine habitat likely supports a diversity of birdlife. The marine life surrounding the island has also not been well surveyed. A large coral reef is known to circle the island, and mangroves are also known to fringe its banks. A c. 1999 report from divers near
2420-399: Is approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation 1956 prohibits travel to the island, and any approach closer than 5 nautical miles (9.3 km), in order to protect the remaining tribal community from "mainland" infectious diseases against which they likely have no acquired immunity. The area is patrolled by
2541-534: Is believed to have connived in the spreading of this propaganda". Leopold and his companions were released by members of the United States 106th Cavalry Group in early May 1945. Because of the controversy about his conduct during the war, Leopold III and his wife and children were unable to return to Belgium and spent the next six years in exile at Pregny-Chambésy near Geneva , Switzerland. A regency under his brother Prince Charles had been established by
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#17327660964592662-440: Is best to avoid swimming near mangrove areas or the mouths of creeks; swimming in the open ocean should be safe, but it is best to have a spotter around. As of 2011 , the population of the Andaman was 343,125, having grown from 50,000 in 1960. The bulk of the population originates from immigrants who came to the island since the colonial times, mainly of Bengali , Hindustani , Telugu , Tamil backgrounds. A small minority of
2783-405: Is irregular, usually dry during the north-east monsoons, and very wet during the south-west monsoons. The Middle Andamans harbour mostly moist deciduous forests . North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers. The natural vegetation of the Andamans is tropical forest, with mangroves on the coast. The rainforests are similar in composition to those of
2904-611: Is protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Sch I). The spotted deer ( Axis axis ), the Indian muntjac ( Muntiacus muntjak ) and the sambar ( Rusa unicolor ) were all introduced to the Andaman islands, though the sambar did not survive. Interview Island (the largest wildlife sanctuary in the territory) in Middle Andaman holds a population of feral elephants , which were brought in for forest work by
3025-532: Is sturdier than teak and is widely used for furniture making. There are burr wood and buttress root formations in Andaman Padauk. The largest piece of buttress known from Andaman was a dining table of 13 ft × 7 ft (4.0 m × 2.1 m). The largest piece of burr wood was made into a dining table for eight. The Rudraksha ( Elaeocarps sphaericus ) and aromatic Dhoop-resin trees also are found here. The Andaman Islands are home to
3146-508: The Andaman cobra ( Naja sagittifera ), South Andaman krait ( Bungarus andamanensis ) and Andaman water monitor ( Varanus salvator andamanensis ). There is a sanctuary 72 km (45 mi) from Havelock Island for saltwater crocodiles . Over the past 25 years there have been 24 crocodile attacks with four fatalities, including the death of American tourist Lauren Failla. The government has been criticised for failing to inform tourists of
3267-495: The Andamanese languages , but they make up at least two independent families, and the dozen or so attested languages are either extinct or endangered. Most of the tribal people in Andaman and Nicobar Islands believe in a religion that can be described as a form of monotheistic animism . The tribal people of these islands believe that Puluga is the only deity and is responsible for everything happening on Earth. The faith of
3388-536: The Belgian Army , met with his ministers for the final time. The ministers urged the king to leave the country with the government. Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot reminded him that capitulation was a decision for the Belgian government, not for the king, to make. The king indicated that he had decided to remain in Belgium with his troops, whatever the outcome. The ministers took this to mean that he would establish
3509-596: The Briton in 1844 during the same storm, while transporting goods and passengers between India and Australia, and the continuous attacks launched by the natives, which the survivors fought off, alarmed the British government . In 1855, the government proposed another settlement on the islands, including a convict establishment , but the Indian Rebellion of 1857 forced a delay in its construction. However, because
3630-719: The Coco Islands and Preparis Island are part of the Yangon Region of Myanmar . The Andaman Islands are home to the Andamanese , a group of indigenous people made up of a number of tribes, including the Jarawa and Sentinelese . While some of the islands can be visited with permits, entry to others, including North Sentinel Island , is banned by law. The Sentinelese are generally hostile to visitors and have had little contact with any other people. The Indian government and coast guard protect their right to privacy. In
3751-633: The Indian Navy . Nominally, the island belongs to the South Andaman administrative district , part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands . In practice, Indian authorities recognise the islanders' desire to be left alone, restricting outsiders to remote monitoring (by boat and sometimes air) from a reasonably safe distance; the Government of India will not prosecute
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3872-676: The Sentinelese and other native tribes in the region. The Andaman and Nicobar Administration stated in 2005 that they have no intention to interfere with the lifestyle or habitat of the Sentinelese and are not interested in pursuing any further contact with them or governing the island. Although North Sentinel Island is not legally an autonomous administrative division of India , scholars have referred to it and its people as effectively autonomous, or de-facto sovereign. Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands ( / ˈ æ n d ə m ə n / ) are an archipelago , made up of 200 islands, in
3993-527: The evacuation from Dunkirk . Alan Brooke who commanded II Corps of the BEF thought that the 10th Belgian Division was in the wrong place and wanted to deploy north of Brussels to avoid "double-banking". He was advised by Roger Keyes to see the king, and on 12 May was "making progress in getting matters put right" in discussion with the king in English, but was interrupted (twice) by the king's advisor who spoke to
4114-590: The 13th century, the name of Andaman appears in Late Middle Chinese as ʔˠan dɑ mˠan ( 晏陀蠻 , pronounced yàntuómán in modern Mandarin Chinese ) in the book Zhu Fan Zhi by Zhao Rukuo . In Chapter 38 of the book, Countries in the Sea , Zhao Rukuo specifies that going from Lambri ( Sumatra ) to Ceylan, an unfavourable wind makes ships drift towards the Andaman Islands. In the 15th century, Andaman
4235-618: The Andaman Islands. The Andaman Archipelago is an oceanic continuation of the Burmese Arakan Yoma range in the north and of the Indonesian Archipelago in the south. It has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,408 km (2,474 sq mi), with the Andaman Sea to the east between the islands and the coast of Burma. North Andaman Island is 285 kilometres (177 mi) south of Burma, although
4356-575: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a strategic naval base to launch an expedition against the Sriwijaya Empire . The Cholas called the island Ma-Nakkavaram ("great open/naked land"), found in the Thanjavur inscription of 1050 CE . European traveller Marco Polo (12th–13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann' and a corrupted form of the Tamil name Nakkavaram would have led to
4477-464: The Andaman archipelago, naming it Acetabularia jalakanyakae . "Jalakanyaka" is a Sanskrit word that means "mermaid". Andaman forests contain 200 or more timber producing species of trees, out of which about 30 varieties are considered to be commercial. Major commercial timber species are Gurjan ( Dipterocarpus spp.) and Padauk ( Pterocarpus dalbergioides ). The following ornamental woods are noted for their pronounced grain formation: Padauk wood
4598-402: The Andaman people have mostly avoided contact with the outside world. Their languages are a great reflection of this, with distinct linguistics that have strong morphological features – root words, prefix, suffixes – with very little relation to surrounding geographic regions. Figures from the end of the 20th century estimate there remain only approximately 400–450 ethnic Andamanese still on
4719-585: The Andamanese teaches that Paluga resides on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' Saddle Peak . People try to avoid any action that might displease Paluga. People belonging to this religion believe in the presence of souls, ghosts, and spirits. They put a lot of emphasis on dreams. They let dreams decide different courses of action in their lives. Andamanese mythology held that human males emerged from split bamboo, whereas women were fashioned from clay. One version found by Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown held that
4840-571: The Andamans, including a trip to the Nicobar Islands in 1999. In November 2018, John Allen Chau , an American missionary , traveled illegally with the help of local fishermen to the North Sentinel Island off the Andaman Islands chain group on several occasions, despite a travel ban to the island. He is reported to have been killed. Despite some relaxation introduced earlier in 2018 to the stringent visit permit system for
4961-460: The BEF was likely to "have both flanks turned" with French defeats, and started withdrawal on 16 May. After his military surrender, Leopold (unlike Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in a similar predicament) remained in Brussels to surrender to the victorious invaders, while his entire civil government fled to Paris and later to London. On 24 May 1940, Leopold, having assumed command of
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5082-590: The Belgian legislature in 1944. Frans Henri van den Dungen , rector of the Free University of Brussels , wrote to Leopold on 25 June 1945 about concerns for serious disorder in Wallonia , "The question is not if the accusations against you are right or not [but that...] you are no longer a symbol of Belgian unity." Robert Gillon , the President of the Belgian Senate, told the king that there
5203-590: The British about the tribe's plans. In 1867, the merchantman Nineveh was wrecked on the reef of North Sentinel Island. The 86 survivors reached the beach in the ship's boats. On the third day, they were attacked with iron-tipped spears by naked islanders. One person from the ship escaped in a boat and the others were later rescued by a British Royal Navy ship. For some time, sickness and mortality were high, but swamp reclamation and extensive forest clearance continued. The Andaman colony became notorious with
5324-605: The British press denounced him as "Traitor King" and "King Rat"; the Daily Mirror published a picture of Leopold with the headline "The Face That Every Woman Now Despises". A group of Belgian refugees in Paris placed a message at King Albert 's statue denouncing his son as "your unworthy successor". French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud accused Leopold of treason. Flemish historians Valaers and Van Goethem wrote that Leopold III had become "The scapegoat of Reynaud", because Reynaud
5445-497: The British. Today, a memorial stands in Andaman water sports complex as a tribute to the people who died in the battle. Fearful of British intentions and with help from an escaped convict from Cellular Jail , the Great Andamanese attacked the British settlement, but they were outnumbered and soon suffered heavy casualties. Later, it was identified that an escaped convict named Dudhnath Tewari had changed sides and informed
5566-581: The Germans, the Belgian government-in-exile in London maintained that the king did not represent the Belgian government and was unable to reign. The Germans held him at first under house arrest at the Royal Castle of Laeken . Having since June 1940 desired a meeting with Adolf Hitler in respect of the situation of Belgian prisoners of war, Leopold III finally met with him on 19 November 1940. Leopold wanted to persuade Hitler to release Belgian POWs, and issue
5687-551: The Germans. Prime Minister Pierlot spoke on French radio, saying that the king's decision to surrender went against the Belgian Constitution . The decision, he said, was not only a military decision but also a political decision, and the king had acted without his ministers' advice, and therefore contrary to the Constitution. Pierlot and his Government believed this created an impossibilité de régner : Should
5808-417: The Indian mainland. There are protected areas on Little Andaman , Narcondam , North Andaman and South Andaman, but these are mainly aimed at preserving the coast and the marine wildlife rather than the rainforests. Threats to wildlife come from introduced species including rats, dogs, cats and the elephants of Interview Island and North Andaman. Scientists discovered a new species of green algae species in
5929-540: The Sentinel islands. The Sentinelese have repeatedly attacked approaching vessels, whether the boats were intentionally visiting the island or simply ran aground on the surrounding coral reef. The islanders have been observed shooting arrows at boats, as well as at low-flying helicopters. Such attacks have resulted in injury and death. In 2006, islanders killed two fishermen whose boat had drifted ashore, and in 2018 an American Christian missionary , 26-year-old John Chau ,
6050-586: The Sentinelese for killing people in the event that an outsider ventures ashore. In 2018, the Government of India excluded 29 islands—including North Sentinel—from the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime, in a major effort to boost tourism. In November 2018, the government's home ministry stated that the relaxation of the prohibition on visitations was intended to allow researchers and anthropologists (with pre-approved clearance) to finally visit
6171-471: The Sentinelese population would face the potential threats of infectious diseases to which they have no immunity, as well as violence from intruders. The Indian government has declared the entire island and its surrounding waters extending 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) from the island to be an exclusion zone to protect them from outside interference. The Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 provides protection to
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#17327660964596292-564: The Sentinelese. However, Onges brought to North Sentinel Island by the British during the 19th century could not understand the language spoken by the North Sentinelese; as such, a significant period of separation is likely. British surveyor John Ritchie observed "a multitude of lights" from an East India Company hydrographic survey vessel , the Diligent , as it passed by the island in 1771. Homfray, an administrator, travelled to
6413-620: The Testament was simply, "It stinks." In a sentence inspired by a quote of Talleyrand about the Bourbons after the restoration of the French monarchy in 1815, Churchill declared, "He is like the Bourbons, he has learned nothing and forgotten nothing." On 7 June 1944, Heinrich Himmler ordered Leopold deported to Germany. Princess Lilian followed with the family in another car the following day under an SS armed guard. The Nazis interned
6534-619: The authority of the Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind (Provisional Government of Free India) headed by Subhas Chandra Bose , who visited the islands during the war, and renamed them as Shaheed (Martyr) & Swaraj (Self-rule). On 30 December 1943, during the Japanese occupation, Bose, who was allied with the Japanese, first raised the flag of Indian independence. General Loganathan , of the Indian National Army ,
6655-611: The beach. The captain of Primrose radioed for an urgent drop of firearms so his crew could defend themselves. They did not receive any because a large storm stopped other ships from reaching them, but the heavy seas also prevented the islanders from approaching the ship. A week later, the crewmen were rescued by a helicopter under contract to the Indian Oil And Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The Sentinelese are known to have scavenged both shipwrecks for iron. Settlers from Port Blair also visited
6776-523: The case told The Guardian that the risk of a dangerous clash between investigators and the islanders was too great to justify any further attempts. North Sentinel lies 36 km (22 mi) west of the village of Wandoor in South Andaman Island , 50 km (31 mi) west of Port Blair , and 59.6 km (37.0 mi) north of its counterpart South Sentinel Island . It has an area of about 59.67 km (23.04 sq mi) and
6897-462: The country announcing Leopold's second marriage on 7 December. The letter from the Cardinal revealed that the king's new wife would be known as Princesse de Réthy, not Queen Lilian, and that any children they had would have no claim to the throne . Leopold's new marriage damaged his reputation further in the eyes of many of his subjects. The ministers made several efforts during the war to work out
7018-442: The country apart, and to preserve the monarchy, Leopold decided on 1 August 1950 to delegate his powers and duties to his 20-year-old son Baudouin , making the latter regent. He abdicated on 16 July 1951 in favour of Baudouin, being urged to do so by the government. Leopold and his wife continued to advise King Baudouin until the latter's marriage in 1960. Some Belgian historians, such as Vincent Delcorps, speak of there having been
7139-513: The crocodile sanctuary and danger, while simultaneously promoting tourism. Crocodiles are not only found within the sanctuary, but throughout the island chain in varying densities. They are habitat restricted, so the population is stable but not large. Populations occur throughout available mangrove habitat on all major islands, including a few creeks on Havelock. The species uses the ocean as a means of travel between different rivers and estuaries, thus they are not as commonly observed in open ocean. It
7260-485: The defensive perimeter thus penetrated before any French or British troops could arrive. After a short running battle that eventually involved the armies of all four belligerents, Belgium was overwhelmed by the numerically superior and better-prepared Germans. Nevertheless, the Belgian perseverance prevented the British Expeditionary Force from being outflanked and cut off from the coast, enabling
7381-527: The end of the Last Glacial Period , when sea levels were much lower reducing the distance between the Andaman Islands and the Asian mainland, with genetic estimates suggesting that the two main linguistic groups diverged around 16,000 years ago. Andamanese peoples are a genetically distinct group highly divergent from other Asians. Rajendra I took over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He used
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#17327660964597502-458: The family in a fort at Hirschstein in Saxony from June 1944 to March 1945, and then at Strobl , Austria . The British and American governments worried about the return of the king. Charles W. Sawyer , US Ambassador to Belgium, warned his government that an immediate return by the king to Belgium would "precipitate serious difficulties". "There are deep differences even in the royal family and
7623-583: The first bomb was ready). The Belgian government did not publish the Political Testament and tried to ignore it, partly for fear of increased support for the Belgian Communist Party . When Pierlot and Spaak learned of its contents in September 1944, they were astonished and felt deceived by the king. According to André de Staercke, they were dismayed "in the face of so much blindness and unawareness". Churchill's reaction to
7744-516: The first man died and went to heaven, a pleasurable world, but this blissful period ended due to breaking a food taboo, specifically eating the forbidden vegetables in the Puluga's garden. Thus catastrophe ensued, and eventually the people grew overpopulated and didn't follow Puluga's laws,. Hence, there was a Great Flood that left four survivors, who lost their fire. Leopold III of Belgium Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983)
7865-526: The first surfing project in the Andamans, starting from Phuket in Thailand with the assistance of Southeast Asia Liveaboards (SEAL), a UK owned dive charter company. With a crew of international professional surfers, they crossed the Andaman Sea on the yacht Crescent and cleared formalities in Port Blair. The group proceeded to Little Andaman Island, where they spent ten days surfing several spots for
7986-551: The first time, including Jarawa Point near Hut Bay and the long right reef point at the southwest tip of the island, named Kumari Point. The resulting article in Surfer Magazine , "Quest for Fire" by journalist Sam George, put the Andaman Islands on the surfing map for the first time. Footage of the waves of the Andaman Islands also appeared in the film Thicker than Water , shot by documentary filmmaker Jack Johnson . Callahan went on to make several more surfing projects in
8107-552: The government ministers involved in the 1940 crisis be dismissed. The Allies did not like Leopold's repudiation of the treaties concluded by the Belgian government-in-exile in London. The United States was particularly concerned about the economic treaty it had reached with the government-in-exile that enabled it to obtain Congolese uranium for America's secret atom bomb program , which had been developed for use against Germany (although, as it turned out, Germany surrendered before
8228-668: The great popularity of the king, and the unpopularity of the civil government from the middle of 1940, the government crisis persisted. On 2 August 1940, several ministers conferred in Le Perthus in France near the Spanish border. Prime Minister Pierlot and Foreign Minister Spaak were persuaded to go to London, but they were able to start out for London only at the end of August and could travel only via neutral Spain and Portugal. When they reached Spain, they were arrested and detained by
8349-436: The helicopter. Although the tsunami disturbed the tribal fishing grounds, the Sentinelese appear to have adapted. In January 2006, two Indian fishermen, Sunder Raj and Pandit Tiwari, were fishing illegally in prohibited waters and were killed by the Sentinelese when their boat drifted too close to the island. There were no prosecutions. In November 2018, a 26-year old American Christian missionary named John Allen Chau , who
8470-436: The island and a major food source for the Sentinelese, with reports by Portman referring to a "huge heap" of pig skulls near a Sentinelese village. The IUCN Red List lists North Sentinel as being an important habitat for coconut crabs ( Birgus latro ), which have been otherwise extirpated from most of the other Andaman Islands except from South Sentinel and Little Andaman . North Sentinel Island, along with South Sentinel,
8591-409: The island and its prison as Kala Pani ("black water"), named for kala pani , the Hindu proscription against traveling across the open sea. Incarceration on the Andamans thus threatened prisoners with the loss of their caste , and resultant social exclusion; a 1996 film set on the island took that term as its title, Kaalapani . The number of prisoners who died in this camp is estimated to be in
8712-672: The island every few years beginning in 1967. In 1975 Leopold III of Belgium , on a tour of the Andamans, was taken by local dignitaries for an overnight cruise to the waters off North Sentinel Island. The cargo ship MV Rusley ran aground on coastal reefs in mid-1977, and the MV Primrose did so on 2 August 1981. After the Primrose grounded on the North Sentinel Island reef, crewmen several days later noticed that some men carrying spears and arrows were building boats on
8833-492: The island in March 1867. Towards the end of the same year's summer monsoon season, Nineveh , an Indian merchant ship, was wrecked on a reef near the island. The 106 surviving passengers and crewmen landed on the beach in the ship's boat and fended off attacks by the Sentinelese. They were eventually found by a Royal Navy rescue party. An expedition led by Maurice Vidal Portman , a government administrator who hoped to research
8954-425: The island indicated that the reefs around the island were bleached in the 1998 El Niño , but had since seen new growth of coral. Sharks have allegedly also been seen in the waters off the island. Sea turtles likely also occur near the island, as Portman referred to them also being a major food source for the Sentinelese and one was sighted on a 1999 survey of the surrounding waters. Dolphins were also sighted on
9075-411: The island is illegal under Indian law. The fishermen who illegally ferried Chau to North Sentinel said they saw tribesmen drag his body along a beach and bury it. Despite efforts by Indian authorities, which involved a tense encounter with the tribe, Chau's body was not recovered. Indian officials made several attempts to recover the body but eventually abandoned those efforts. An anthropologist involved in
9196-660: The island's boundaries – by as much as one kilometre (3,300 ft) on the west and south sides – and uniting Constance Islet with the main island. The island is largely covered in tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest . Due to the lack of surveys, the exact composition of the terrestrial flora and fauna remains unknown. In his 1880 expedition to the island, Maurice Vidal Portman reported an open, "park-like" jungle with numerous groves of bulletwood ( Manilkara littoralis ) trees, as well as huge, buttressed specimens of Malabar silk-cotton tree ( Bombax ceiba ) . Indian boar ( Sus scrofa cristatus ) are apparently found on
9317-503: The island's fisheries, timber, and agricultural resources. In exchange, inmates would be granted return passage to the Indian mainland, or the right to settle on the islands. J H Williams , one of the Bombay Burma Company's senior officials, was dispatched to perform a timber survey of the islands using convict labor. He recorded his findings in 'The Spotted Deer' (published in 1957 by Rupert Hart-Davis ). The penal colony
9438-501: The island, and as few as 50 speakers The Jangil are extinct. Most of the Great Andamanese tribes are extinct, and the survivors, now just 52, speak mostly Hindi . The Onge are reduced to less than 100 people. Only the Jarawa and Sentinelese still maintain a steadfast independence and refuse most attempts at contact; their numbers are uncertain but estimated to be in the low hundreds. The indigenous languages are collectively referred to as
9559-403: The islands, North Sentinel Island was still highly protected from outside contact. Special permission to allow researchers and anthropologists to visit could be sought. Chau had no special clearance and knew that his visit was illegal. Although a less restrictive system of approval to visit some of the islands now applies, with non-Indian nationals no longer required to obtain pre-approval with
9680-471: The islands. There are two volcanic islands, Narcondam Island and Barren Island , which have produced basalt and andesite . Barren Island is the only active volcano in the Indian sub-continent , with the latest eruption reported in December 2022, leading to the potential for geotourism . The climate is typical of tropical islands of similar latitude. It is always warm, but with sea breezes. Rainfall
9801-552: The king (70% favourable votes in Flanders). On his return to Belgium on 22 July 1950, Leopold was met with one of the most violent general strikes in the history of Belgium . Three protesters were killed when the gendarmerie opened automatic fire upon the protesters. The country stood on the brink of civil war, and Belgian banners were replaced by Walloon flags in Liège and other municipalities of Wallonia . To avoid tearing
9922-606: The king find himself unable to reign, the ministers, having observed this inability, immediately summon the Chambers. Regency and guardianship are to be provided by the united Chambers. It was impossible, however, to summon the Belgian Chamber of Representatives or Belgian Senate at this time, or to appoint a regent . After the liberation of Belgium in September 1944, the government asked Leopold's brother, Prince Charles , to serve as regent. After Leopold's surrender,
10043-432: The king in French (in which Brooke was fluent). The advisor was insistent that the Belgian division could not be moved and the BEF should be stopped further south and clear of Brussels; Brooke said he was not putting the whole case to the king; he found that arguing with the advisor was a sheer waste of time as he cared little about the BEF and most of his suggestions were "fantastic". The king's advisor Raoul Van Overstraeten
10164-537: The king should have been guided by the advice of his ministers and should not have favoured a course which identified the capitulation of the Belgian Army with the submission of the Belgian State to Herr Hitler and consequently taking them out of the war. Happily this evil was averted, and in the end, all came right. I need scarcely say that nothing I said at the time could be interpreted as a reflection upon
10285-506: The king two times." On 11 September 1941, while a prisoner of the Germans, Leopold secretly married Lilian Baels in a religious ceremony that had no validity under Belgian law, which required a religious marriage to be preceded by a legal or civil marriage . On 6 December, they were married under civil law . The reason for the out-of-order marriages was never officially made public. Jozef-Ernest Cardinal van Roey , Archbishop of Mechelen , wrote an open letter to parish priests throughout
10406-634: The kingdom. However, in 1915, with Belgium almost entirely occupied by the Germans, Leopold was sent to attend Eton College , while his father fought on in France. After the war, in 1919, the Duke of Brabant visited the Old Mission and Saint Anthony Seminary in Santa Barbara, California . He married Princess Astrid of Sweden in a civil ceremony in Stockholm on 4 November 1926, followed by
10527-400: The mainland increased (at first mostly prisoners and involuntary indentured labourers , later purposely recruited farmers), the Andamanese suffered a population decline due to the introduction of outside infectious diseases , land encroachment from settlers and conflict. The Andaman Islands are home to the Sentinelese people , an uncontacted tribe . Due to their isolated island location,
10648-520: The ministers' powers, while expanding his own. French, British, and Belgian troops were encircled by German forces at the Battle of Dunkirk . Leopold notified King George VI by telegram on 25 May 1940 that Belgian forces were being crushed, saying "assistance which we give to the Allies will come to an end if our army is surrounded". Two days later (27 May 1940), Leopold surrendered the Belgian forces to
10769-604: The modern name Nicobar during the British colonial period. In 1789, the Bengal Presidency established a naval base and penal colony on Chatham Island in the southeast bay of Great Andaman . The settlement is now known as Port Blair (after the Bombay Marine lieutenant Archibald Blair who founded it). After two years, the colony was moved to the northeast part of Great Andaman and was named Port Cornwallis after Admiral William Cornwallis . However, there
10890-495: The murder of the Viceroy Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo , on a visit to the settlement (8 February 1872), by a Pathan from Afghanistan , Sher Ali Afridi . In the same year, the two island groups Andaman and Nicobar , were united under a chief commissioner residing at Port Blair. From the time of its development in 1858 under the direction of James Pattison Walker, and in response to
11011-405: The mutiny and rebellion of the previous year, the settlement was first and foremost a repository for political prisoners . The Cellular Jail at Port Blair, when completed in 1910, included 698 cells designed for solitary confinement; each cell measured 4.5 by 2.7 m (15 by 9 ft) with a single ventilation window 3 metres (10 ft) above the floor. The Indians imprisoned here referred to
11132-489: The natives and their customs, landed on North Sentinel Island in January 1880. The group found a network of pathways and several small, abandoned villages. After several days, six Sentinelese, an elderly couple and four children, were taken to Port Blair . The colonial officer in charge of the operation wrote that the entire group "sickened rapidly, and the old man and his wife died, so the four children were sent back to their home with quantities of presents". A second landing
11253-399: The northeastern Indian Ocean about 130 km (81 mi) southwest off the coasts of Myanmar 's Ayeyarwady Region . Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. Most of the islands are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands , a Union Territory of India , while
11374-505: The personal courage or honour of King Leopold. De Staercke replied that Churchill was right: "The Prince, Monsieur Spaak [Belgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak ] and I read your text, which states the precise truth and seems perfect to us." Belgian historian Francis Balace wrote that capitulation was inevitable because the Belgian Army was not able to fight any longer against the German army. Even Churchill admitted that their position
11495-548: The police and a lack of weapons." In 1946, a commission of inquiry exonerated Leopold of treason. Nonetheless, controversy concerning his loyalty continued, and in 1950, a referendum was held about his future. Fifty-seven per cent of the voters favoured his return. The divide between Leopoldists and anti-Leopoldists ran along the lines of socialists and Walloons who were mostly opposed (42% favourable votes in Wallonia) and Christian Democrats and Flemish who were more in favour of
11616-483: The population are the Andamanese — the aboriginal inhabitants ( adivasi ) of the islands. When they first came into sustained contact with outside groups in the 1850s, there were an estimated 7,000 Andamanese, divided into the Great Andamanese , Jarawa , Jangil (or Rutland Jarawa ), Onge , and the Sentinelese . The Great Andamanese formed 10 tribes of 5,000 people total. As the numbers of settlers from
11737-485: The rebellion led to the British holding a large number of prisoners, it made the new Andaman settlement and prison urgently necessary. Construction began in November 1857 at Port Blair using inmates' labour, avoiding the vicinity of a salt swamp that seemed to have been the source of many of the earlier problems at Port Cornwallis. The Battle of Aberdeen was fought on 17 May 1859 between the Great Andamanese tribe and
11858-425: The regime of Francisco Franco ; they finally arrived in London on 22 October. Leopold rejected cooperation with the government of Nazi Germany and refused to administer Belgium in accordance with its dictates; thus, the Germans implemented a military government. Leopold attempted to assert his authority as monarch and head of the Belgian government, although he was a prisoner of the Germans. Despite his defiance of
11979-483: The same survey. North Sentinel Island is inhabited by the Sentinelese, indigenous people who defend their voluntary isolation by force. Their population was estimated to be between 50 and 400 people in a 2012 report. India's 2011 census indicates 15 residents in 10 households, but that too was merely an estimate, described as a "wild guess" by The Times of India . Like the Jarawas whose numbers have been decreasing,
12100-526: The sea. Suddenly, without prior consultation, with the least possible notice, without the advice of his ministers and upon his own personal act, he sent a plenipotentiary to the German Command, surrendered his army and exposed our whole flank and means of retreat. In 1949, Churchill's comments about the events of May 1940 were published in Le Soir (12 February 1949). Leopold's former secretary sent
12221-424: The shore. A forested islet, Constance Island, also "Constance Islet", is located about 600 metres (2,000 ft) off the southeast coastline, at the edge of the reef. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tilted the tectonic plate under the island, lifting it by one to two metres (3 to 7 ft) . Large tracts of the surrounding coral reefs were exposed and became permanently dry land or shallow lagoons, extending all
12342-500: The sites to recover the cargo. In 1991, salvage operators were authorised to dismantle the ships. The first peaceful contact with the Sentinelese was made by Triloknath Pandit , a director of the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), and his colleagues on 4 January 1991. Although Pandit and his colleagues were able to make repeated friendly contact, dropping coconuts and other gifts to the Sentinelese, no progress
12463-732: The situation holds dynamite for Belgium and perhaps for Europe". "The Foreign Office feared that an increasing minority in French-speaking Wallonia would demand either autonomy or annexation to France. Winant, the American Ambassador to the Court of Saint James's, reported a Foreign Office official's concern regarding irredentist propaganda in Wallonia." and that "the French Ambassador in Brussels...
12584-539: The thousands. Many more died of harsh treatment and the strenuous living and working conditions in this camp. The Viper Chain Gang Jail on Viper Island was reserved for extraordinarily troublesome prisoners and was also the site of hangings. In the 20th century, it became a convenient place to house prominent members of India's independence movement. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were occupied by Japan during World War II . The islands were nominally put under
12705-419: The west coast of Burma. Most of the forests are evergreen, but there are areas of deciduous forest on North Andaman, Middle Andaman , Baratang and parts of South Andaman Island . The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and orchids. The Andaman forests are largely unspoiled, despite logging and the demands of the fast-growing population driven by immigration from
12826-576: Was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II , Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasion in May 1940 , he surrendered his country, earning him much hostility, both at home and abroad. Leopold's act was declared unconstitutional by Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot and his cabinet, who moved to London to form
12947-480: Was Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which had been annexed to the Provisional Government. According to Werner Gruhl: "Before leaving the islands, the Japanese rounded up and executed 750 innocents ." At the close of World War II, the British government announced its intention to shut down the penal settlement. The government proposed to employ former inmates in an initiative to develop
13068-468: Was a threat of serious disorder: "If there are only ten or twenty people killed, the situation would become terrible for the king." The president of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, Frans Van Cauwelaert , was concerned that there would be a general strike in Wallonia and revolt in Liège . He wrote, "The country is not able to put down the disorders because of the insufficient forces of
13189-519: Was born in Brussels , the first child of Prince Albert, heir to the Belgian throne, and his consort, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria . In 1909 his father became King of the Belgians, as Albert I , and Prince Leopold became Duke of Brabant. In August 1914, when Belgium was invaded by Germany, King Albert allowed Leopold, then aged twelve, to enlist in the Belgian army as a private and fight in defence of
13310-405: Was contrary to Belgian law, which stipulates that the civil marriage has to occur before a religious marriage, and she was never permitted the title of queen. Although Lilian and Leopold had originally planned to postpone their civil marriage until the end of the war, Lilian was soon expecting their first child, necessitating a civil marriage, which took place on 6 December 1941. Prince Leopold
13431-568: Was eventually closed on 15 August 1947 when India gained independence . It has since served as a museum to the independence movement . Most of the Andaman Islands became part of the Republic of India in 1950 and was declared as a union territory of the nation in 1956, while the Preparis Island and Coco Islands became part of the Yangon Region of Myanmar in 1948. In April 1998, American photographer John S. Callahan organised
13552-502: Was ignoring them. Leopold wrote his Political Testament in January 1944, shortly after this failed attempt at reconciliation. The testament was to be published in case he was not in Belgium when Allied forces arrived. The testament, which had an imperious and negative tone, considered the potential Allied movement into Belgium an "occupation", not a "liberation". It gave no credit to the active Belgian resistance . The Belgian government-in-exile in London did not like Leopold's demand that
13673-426: Was killed after he illegally attempted to make contact with the islanders three separate times and paid local fishermen to transport him to the island. The Onge , one of the other indigenous peoples of the Andamans, were aware of North Sentinel Island's existence; their traditional name for the island is Chia daaKwokweyeh . They also have strong cultural similarities with what little has been remotely observed amongst
13794-498: Was likely already aware that the Battle of France was lost. Leopold's surrender was also decried by Winston Churchill. In the House of Commons on 4 June 1940 he said: At the last moment when Belgium was already invaded, King Leopold called upon us to come to his aid, and even at the last moment we came. He and his brave, efficient army, nearly half a million strong, guarded our left flank and thus kept open our only line of retreat to
13915-431: Was made by Portman on 27 August 1883 after the eruption of Krakatoa was mistaken for gunfire and interpreted as the distress signal of a ship. A search party landed on the island and left gifts before returning to Port Blair. Portman visited the island several more times between January 1885 and January 1887. Indian exploratory parties under orders to establish friendly relations with the Sentinelese made brief landings on
14036-449: Was made in understanding the Sentinelese language , and the Sentinelese repeatedly warned them off if they stayed too long. Indian visits to the island ceased in 1997. The Sentinelese survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its after-effects, including the tsunami and the uplifting of the island. Three days after the earthquake, an Indian government helicopter observed several islanders, who shot arrows and threw spears and stones at
14157-528: Was much disease and death in the penal colony and the government ceased operating it in May 1796. In 1824, Port Cornwallis was the rendezvous of the fleet carrying the army to the First Burmese War . In the 1830s and 1840s, shipwrecked crews who landed on the Andamans were often attacked and killed by the natives and the islands had a reputation for cannibalism . The loss of the Runnymede and
14278-512: Was not the Chief of Staff, as Brooke had assumed - Van Overstraeten had refused that rank - but the king's aide-de-camp , with the rank of Major-General, and would not give up the Louvain front. The French liaison officer, General Champon, told Brooke that Van Overstraeten had ascendancy over the king and had taken control, so it was useless to see the Chief of Staff. Later (15 May) Brooke found that
14399-420: Was perilous. In a telegram to Field Marshal Lord Gort on 27 May, only one day before the Belgian capitulation, he wrote, "We are asking them to sacrifice themselves for us." Upon Leopold's surrender, the government ministers left for exile, mostly in France. When France fell at the end of June 1940, several ministers sought to return to Belgium. They made an overture to Leopold but were rebuffed. Because of
14520-613: Was recorded as "Andeman Mountain" (安得蠻山, pronounced āndémán shān in modern Mandarin Chinese) during the voyages of Zheng He in the Mao Kun map of the Wu Bei Zhi . The oldest archaeological evidence for the habitation of the islands dates to the 1st millennium BC . Genetic evidence suggests that the indigenous Andamanese peoples share a common origin, and that the islands were settled sometime after 26,000 years ago, possibly at
14641-418: Was trained and sent by Missouri -based All Nations, was killed during an illegal trip to the restricted island where he planned to preach Christianity to the Sentinelese. The 2023 documentary film The Mission discusses the incident. Seven individuals were taken into custody by Indian police on suspicion of abetting Chau's illegal access to the island. Entering a radius of 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) around
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