North and Middle Andaman is a district of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It comprises the northern and central portions of the Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal and is the northernmost of the three districts of the Union Territory. The district headquarters is located at Mayabunder.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| Headquarters | Mayabunder |
| Region | Bay of Bengal, Andaman archipelago |
| Type | District |
The district covers the North Andaman and Middle Andaman islands, along with several smaller islands in the surrounding waters. The terrain is largely hilly and forested, with tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests forming a major part of the land cover. Saddle Peak, located in North Andaman, is the highest point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The coastline features mangrove creeks, sandy beaches and rocky stretches, and the surrounding seas contain coral reefs.
The Andaman Trunk Road traverses the district, connecting it southwards through the Middle and South Andaman islands to Port Blair, with sections supplemented by ferry crossings such as that between Baratang and Middle Andaman.
The district was carved out of the erstwhile Andaman district when the Union Territory was reorganised, leaving North and Middle Andaman as a separate administrative unit alongside South Andaman district and Nicobar district. It is administered through tehsils and includes the towns of Mayabunder, Diglipur and Rangat, which serve as important sub-divisional and tehsil centres.
The population is mixed, comprising settlers of mainland Indian origin—including descendants of those settled after Independence from Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and other regions—alongside indigenous communities. The Karen, originally brought from Burma during the colonial period, form a notable community around Mayabunder. The district is also home to indigenous Andamanese groups; the Jarawa Tribal Reserve extends into parts of Middle Andaman, and the North Sentinel Island, inhabited by the Sentinelese, lies off the western coast of the district.
The economy is based on agriculture, fisheries, coconut and areca nut cultivation, and forest-related activities. Paddy is a significant crop, particularly in Diglipur, which is one of the main rice-producing areas of the Union Territory. Tourism contributes to local livelihoods, with sites such as Ross and Smith Islands, Kalipur beach (a turtle nesting site) and the limestone caves and mud volcanoes accessible from the district drawing visitors.
Road transport along the Andaman Trunk Road links the major settlements within the district. Inter-island shipping services operated by the Directorate of Shipping Services connect Mayabunder, Rangat and Diglipur with Port Blair and other islands. A small airstrip at Diglipur (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Airport) supports limited civil aviation operations.