Nicobar district

Last updated
Nicobar district
District
India Andaman and Nicobar Islands location map.svg
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India location map.svg
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Coordinates: 9°09′26″N92°45′40″E / 9.157343°N 92.761087°E / 9.157343; 92.761087
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Union territory Andaman and Nicobar Administration Banner.png Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Formation1 August 1974
headquarter Car Nicobar
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
744301
Telephone code03192
Sex ratio 1.2♂/♀
Literacy84.4%
Website https://nicobars.andaman.nic.in/
Nicobar Islands
Bay of Bengal location map simple.svg
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Nicobar Islands
Location in the Bay of Bengal.
Geography
Location Bay of Bengal
Archipelago Nicobar Islands
Adjacent to Indian Ocean
Total islands30
Major islands
Area1,648.13 km2 (636.35 sq mi) [1]
Highest elevation642 m (2106 ft)
Demographics
Population36,842 (2011)
Pop. density22.3/km2 (57.8/sq mi)
Ethnic groups Nicobarese, Hindustani
Additional information
Avg. summer temperature30.2 °C (86.4 °F)
Avg. winter temperature23.0 °C (73.4 °F)
Census Code35.638.0001
Official Languages Hindi, English,
Car (regional)

Nicobar district is one of three districts in the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The district's administrative territory encompasses all of the Nicobar Islands, which are located in the Indian Ocean, between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The headquarters of the district is the village of Malacca, located on the island of Car Nicobar.

Contents

The district administration is headed by a Deputy Commissioner, who in turn reports to the Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

It is the fifth least populous district in the country (out of 640). [2]

Etymology

Falling on the sea route between South India / Sri Lanka and South East Asia, the sailors referred to it as the “land of the naked” i.e. Nakkavar which is perhaps the direct precursor of the current name “Nicobar’. The medieval Arabic name ‘Lankhabatus’ is a mere mistranscription and misapprehension of “Nankakar or Nakkavar”.

History

The district was created on August 1, 1974, when it was separated from Andaman district. [3]

Geography

Nicobar district occupies an area of 1,648 square kilometres (636 sq mi), [4] comparatively equivalent to Mauritius. [5]

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Nicobar district has a population of 36,842, [2] roughly equal to the nation of Liechtenstein. [6] This gives it a ranking of 636th in India (out of a total of 640). [2] The district has a population density of 20 inhabitants per square kilometre (52/sq mi) . [2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was -12.48%. [2] Nicobars has a sex ratio of 778 females for every 1000 males, [2] and a literacy rate of 77.5%. [2]

The district is designated as an Integrated Tribal District and is home to significant numbers of indigenous peoples (namely, the Nicobarese and the Shompen, classified as Scheduled Tribes according to the Constitution of India), who form the majority of the district's population. Because of its status as a tribal area, travel to the district is restricted to Indian nationals, and special permit restrictions apply.

The district was severely affected by the tsunami that was caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which led to many deaths and damaged infrastructure.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
19016,511—    
19118,818+3.08%
19219,272+0.50%
193110,240+1.00%
194112,452+1.98%
195112,009−0.36%
196114,563+1.95%
197121,665+4.05%
198130,454+3.46%
199139,208+2.56%
200142,068+0.71%
201136,842−1.32%
source: [7]

Language

Languages of Nicobar Islands district (2011)

   Nicobarese (65.98%)
   Hindi (9.83%)
   Tamil (6.10%)
   Telugu (4.05%)
   Bengali (3.90%)
   Kurukh (3.31%)
   Malayalam (1.79%)
   Punjabi (1.05%)
  Others (3.99%)

Nicobarese, of the Austroasiatic language family is the most spoken language in Nicobar Islands. As of the 2011 census, Nicobarese is spoken as the first language by 65.98 percent of the district's population followed by Hindi (9.83%), Tamil (6.10%), Telugu (4.05%), Bengali (3.90%), Kurukh (3.31%), Malayalam (1.79%) and others. [8]

Religion

Religions in Nicobar district (2011) [9]
ReligionPercent
Christianity
 
70.78%
Hinduism
 
23.56%
Islam
 
3.63%
Sikhism
 
0.93%
Other or not stated
 
1.10%

Christianity is followed by the majority of the people in Nicobar district. Hinduism is followed by a considerable population. [9]

Administrative divisions

As of 2016, The Nicobar district is divided into 3 sub-divisions and 8 taluks (tehsils).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobar Islands</span> Island group in the Indian Ocean

The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, 150 kilometres (93 mi) northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) southeast of the Indian subcontinent, across the Bay of Bengal, they are part of India, as the Nicobar district within the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Together with the Andaman Islands to their north, the Nicobar Islands serve as a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobarese languages</span> Subgroup of the Austroasiatic language family

The Nicobarese languages or Nicobaric languages, form an isolated group of about half a dozen closely related Austroasiatic languages, spoken by most of the inhabitants of the Nicobar Islands of India. They have a total of about 30,000 speakers. Most Nicobarese speakers speak the Car language. Paul Sidwell (2015:179) considers the Nicobarese languages to subgroup with Aslian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car Nicobar</span> One of the Nicobar Islands

Car Nicobar is the northernmost of the Nicobar Islands. It is also one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Annual rainfall is 2800 millimetres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancowry Island</span>

Nancowry is an island in the central part of the Nicobar Islands chain, located in the northeast Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

Trinket Island is one of the 24 islands that make up the Nicobar Islands chain, located in the northeast Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. It is located east of Kamorta Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobar Islands rain forests</span>

The Nicobar Islands rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Nicobar Islands, which is part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory of India. The Nicobar Islands are in the Indian Ocean, lying north of Sumatra and south of the Andaman Islands. The islands are politically part of India, although physically closer to Southeast Asia. Millions of years of isolation from the mainland has given rise to a distinct flora and fauna, including many endemic species.

Nancowry Taluk is one of 7 local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Teressa is one of the Nicobar Islands, India.

South Andaman district is one of the 3 districts of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands located in the Bay of Bengal. Sri Vijaya Puram, the capital of the Union Territory is the district headquarters. The area covered by this district is 2,640 km2.

North and Middle Andaman district is one of the 3 districts of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands located in the Bay of Bengal. Mayabunder town is the district headquarters. The area covered by this district is 3251.85 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobarese people</span> Ethnic group of India

The Nicobarese people are an Austroasiatic-speaking people of the Nicobar Islands, a chain of islands in the Bay of Bengal north of Sumatra, forming part of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The Nicobar Archipelago consists of 19 islands, and only 12 of them are inhabited. These inhabited islands are Car Nicobar, Chowra, Bompoka, Teressa, Nancowry, Pullomillow, Great Nicobar, Camorta, Katchal, Trinket, Kondul, and Little Nicobar. The largest and main island is Great Nicobar. The term "Nicobarese" refers to the dominant tribes of the Nicobar Islands and are most significant tribal population in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to their large numbers and the very wide area they occupy as compared to all the Andaman tribes put together. Each island's inhabitants have specific names, but collectively they are known as the Nicobarese. They call themselves "Holchu," which means "friend." The life of the Nicobarese revolves around nature. The socio-economic conditions of the people of Nancowry islands play an important role in the religious practices and social life of the Nicobarese community.

Tillangchong, also known as Tillanchang, is an island and a village in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

Minyuk is a village on Teressa Island in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is located in the Nancowry tehsil.

Chowra is an island in the Andaman and Nicobar islands group of India. It is located to the north of Teressa island and to the south of Battimalv Island in the Indian Ocean. It is also known as Choura, Tatat or Sanenyo.

Car Nicobar Tehsil is one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is a subdivision and also a tehsil, roughly equivalent to a county in its range of administrative powers. It is located in the Northern Nicobar Islands.

Paira is an island in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

Man is an uninhabited island in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

Bompuka Island, also known as Poahat, is an island of India, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Nancowry Subdivision is one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Great Nicobar Subdivision is one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is located in the Southern Nicobar Islands.

References

  1. ↑ "Islandwise Area and Population - 2011 Census" (PDF). Government of Andaman. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
  3. ↑ Law, Gwillim (2011-09-25). "Districts of India". Statoids. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  4. ↑ Srivastava, Dayawanti, ed. (2010). "States and Union Territories: Andaman Islands: Government". India 2010: A Reference Annual (54th ed.). New Delhi, India: Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India. p. 1208. ISBN   978-81-230-1617-7.
  5. ↑ "Island Directory Tables: Islands by Land Area". United Nations Environment Program. 1998-02-18. Retrieved 2011-10-11. Mauritius 1,836km2
  6. ↑ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 2011-10-01. 212 Liechtenstein 35,236 July 2011 est.
  7. ↑ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
  8. ↑ "C-16 Population By Mother Tongue". Census of India 2011. Office of the Registrar General.
  9. 1 2 "Population by religious community – Andaman and Nicobar Islands". Census of India, 2011. Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
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