The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, home to a number of aboriginal tribes, lie in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 1,220 km south-east of the coast of West Bengal and 1,190 km east of Chennai. Boasting of an idyllic landscape and immense natural attractions, it is one of the popular tourist resorts in the country.

The main island in the Andamans are land Fall Islands, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Port Blair and Little Andaman. Nicobar, laying to the south comprises of Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Chowra, Teresa, Nancowrie, Katchal and Little Nicobar.

The two groups of islands, Andaman and Nicobar, are separated by a deep ten degree channel, 12 of the islands, particularly Car Nicobar in the north, are inhabited, while Great Nicobar, the largest and southernmost island in the group, is virtually uninhabited. The capital of this Union Territory is Port Blair, on the Andaman Islands.

The existence of these islands was first reported in the 9th century by Arab merchants. The main aboriginal group in the Andamans are the Onges, who live on Little Andaman. Onges; like other Andamanese tribes, are of Negrito origin. They practice food-gathering, hunting, honey-collection 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 Nicobars, 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. The islands of Port Blair has been named after Lt. Reginald Blair, who conducted a survey of the area, in 1789.

ENTRY FORMALITIES
Foreign tourists need a special permit to visit the Andaman Islands & are not allowed to visit Nicobar Islands. Indian nationals need no special permits to visit Andamans. However permits are required to visit Nicobar Islands.