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Andaman district

Overview

The Andaman district was a former administrative district of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It comprised the Andaman group of islands in the Bay of Bengal and existed prior to the bifurcation that created separate districts for the northern and southern parts of the archipelago.

Key facts

Type Former district
Country India
Union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Region covered Andaman group of islands
Status Reorganised into successor districts

Background

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory has historically been organised into a small number of districts owing to its dispersed island geography. The Andaman district covered the Andaman Islands, while the Nicobar group was administered separately as the Nicobar district. The administrative headquarters for the Andamans was located at Port Blair, which also serves as the capital of the union territory.

Reorganisation

The Andaman district was subsequently bifurcated to improve administration over the long, north–south stretch of islands. The successor units are the North and Middle Andaman district, with headquarters at Mayabunder, and the South Andaman district, with headquarters at Port Blair. After this reorganisation, the union territory's districts were the two Andaman districts and the Nicobar district.

Geography

The former district covered the Andaman archipelago, which lies in the Bay of Bengal to the south-east of the Indian mainland. The islands include North Andaman, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Little Andaman and a large number of smaller islands. Significant features within the area included Saddle Peak, the highest point in the territory, and several protected areas covering tropical rainforest and marine ecosystems.

Significance

As an administrative unit, the Andaman district was historically important for the governance of strategically located islands close to South-East Asian shipping lanes. The region is associated with the colonial-era Cellular Jail at Port Blair, indigenous communities such as the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese, and a distinctive ecological profile recognised in Indian conservation policy.

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