Floating in splendid isolation, cast of the Indian mainland is the archipelago of 572 emerald islands, islets and rocks known as Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This Union Territory is stretched over an area of more than 700 Km. from north to south with 36 inhabited islands. Once a hill range extending from Burma (Myanmar) to Indonesia, these undulating islands are covered with dense forests and endless variety of exotic flowers and birds. The topography of the islands is hilly and abounds in evergreen forests. The sandy beaches on the edge of meandering coastline are fringed with coconut-palms that sway to the rhythm of the sea. The sea around the islands offers excellent scope for water sports. The rare flora and fauna, underwater marine life and corals, with crystal clear water and mangrove-lined creeks, offer a dream-view of the rare gifts of nature. The clean and wide roads, free of filth as well as unpolluted fresh air attract any nature-lover, who seek absolute peace and tranquility in the lap of mother nature. Adventure tourism like trekking, island camping, snorkeling and scuba diving, are the real attractions. A visit to these islands is a memorable lifetime experience.

The reserved and protected forests extend over 86% area of the territory and the forest cover is more than 92 %. About 50 % of the forests have been set aside as Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Luxuriant mangroves, perhaps the richest in the world, occupy nearly 11.5 % of the territory. More than 150 plant and animals species are endemic in nature. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is rich in corals, varieties of colored fishes and sea turtles besides other marine life. It is a bird’s paradise - more than 271 varieties of birds inhabit the idyllic landscape, out of which 39 are endemic. Megapode, Swiftlet, Hornbill and Nicobar Pigeon are some of the specialties of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Until the beginnings of colonial rule the Andamans were populated mainly by Andamanese, indigenous tribes of the Negrito peoples. Patterns of traditional life still remain among the Jarawa and Onge tribes who live in the interior regions of South Andaman. However, the majority of the 300,000 people on the Andamans are mainland settlers or their descendants who live in and around Port Blair, the capital on South Andaman.

Mythologicaly, the name Andaman was presumed to be derived from Hanuman, who was known to the Malays as Handuman. Since Prehistoric times, these islands were the home of aboriginal tribes. The tribes of, the Andaman group of islands are the Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas, and Sentinatese, all of Negrito origin, while the tribes of Nicobars are the Nicobarese and Shompens, both of Mongoloid stock. The Nicobarese, probably descended from people of Malaysia and Myanmar, because their dialects belong to the Mon-Khmer group.

It's not known when the first inhabitants arrived on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Their presence was documented in the 2nd century by Ptolemy, and later in the 7th century by Xuan Zang.

In the late 17th century, the islands were annexed by the Marathas whose empire consumed vast areas of India. Two centuries later, the British used them as a penal colony, initially to detain 'regular criminals' from mainland India and later to incarcerate political dissidents - the freedom fighters for independence. For this purpose the British constructed the notorious Cellular Jail. Completed in 1908, it became a place of horrendous atrocities. During WWII, the islands were occupied by the Japanese, who were regarded ambiguously by the islanders. Some initiated guerrilla activities against them while others regarded them as liberators from British colonialism. With Independence in 1947, the islands were incorporated into the Indian Union.

In these islands people of all faiths - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and of all languages like Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Nicobari, live together in complete peace and harmony. Inter-religion and inter-regional marriages are common. This amazing racial and cultural mix is correctly described as Mini-India.