The Indian Islands

What is an Island?

An island is any area of land which is smaller than the smallest continent and is entirely surrounded by water.

The major islands groups of India are Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago (A chain of islands similar in origin) in Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in Arabian Sea.

How are The Andaman and Nicobar Islands formed?

Islands were formed due to collision between Indian Plate and Burma Minor Plate [part of Eurasian Plate][Similar to formation of Himalayas].

These Islands are southward extension of Arakan Yoma range [Myanmar][Arakan Yoma in itself is an extension of Purvanchal Hills].

It consists of two groups of islands at the southeastern edge of the Bay of Bengal. The peaks of a submerged mountain range. The Andaman Islands and their neighbors to the south, the Nicobar Islands form an arc stretching southward for some 620 miles (1,000 km) between Myanmar(Burma) and the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The arc constitutes the boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. Port Blair, (on South Andaman Island) is the territorial capital.

• The Andaman and Nicobar islands extend from 6° 45′ N to 13° 45′ N and from 92° 10′ E to 94° 15′ E for a distance of about 590 km.
• The Andaman islands are divided into three main islands i.e. North, Middle and South.
• Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
• The Great Andaman group of islands in the north is separated by the Ten Degree Channel from the Nicobar group in the south.
• Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands lies in the South Andaman.
• Among the Nicobar islands, the Great Nicobar is the largest. It is the southernmost island and is very close to Sumatra island of Indonesia. The Car Nicobar is the northernmost.
• Most of these islands are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone and shale resting on basic and ultrabasic volcanoes [Similar to Himalayas].
• THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands [these are the only active volcanoes in India][There are no active volcanoes in main land India].
• Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs. Many of them are covered with thick forests. Most of the islands are mountainous.
• Saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.

Climatic conditions

Andaman and Nicobar Islands climate is a warm tropical climate, with the presence of irregular rainfall during the south-west monsoon. Sea breezes are also common in the tropical climate of Andaman and Nicobar.

The climate in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is characterized with a minimum of 23° C temperature; the maximum temperature in the Andaman and Nicobar climate is 31° C. Thus, it can be said that the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is moderate: the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold in the Island.

Another typical feature of Andaman and Nicobar climate is humidity. Andaman and Nicobar Islands is located in the Bay of Bengal; therefore, it goes without mention that the humidity in Andaman and Nicobar is relatively higher. The relative humidity in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 70 to 90%

Moreover, there is no extreme in the climate at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, except the rains and storms. Andaman and Nicobar Islands experience monsoon season in two phases: May to mid September and November to mid December. From November to December, Andaman and Nicobar group of islands witnesses north-easterly gale; and from May to October, the climate experiences south-westerly gale: it is only between January to April that Andaman and Nicobar Islands experiences calm weather.