ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries because of their inaccessibility. These are the paragon of beauty and present a landscape full with scenic and picturesque extravanganza.

These islands shimmer like emeralds in the Bay of Bengal. The dense forest which cover these islands and the innumerable exotic flowers and birds create a highly poetic and romantic atmosphere. Here the white beaches on the edge of a meandering coastline have palm trees that sway to the rhythm of the Sea. The beat of tribal drums haunt the stillness and Technicolor fish steer their ways through crystal clear water. The scenic beauty of Andaman and Nicobar Islands would create a sense of dissatisfaction and the human mind would rebel against the whole mass of the motley facts of life. The Andaman and Nicobar are a groups of picturesque Islands, big and small, inhabited and uninhabited, a total of 527 islands, islets and rocks lying in the south eastern part of the Bay of Bengal. They lie along an arc in long and narrow broken chain, approximately. North South over a distance nearly 810 kms.It is logical to presume a former land connection form cap Negris at south part of Burma to Achin Head in Sumatra. The flora and fauna of these islands however, indicate that this land connection if it existed should have been prior to the development of their present life.

THE HISTORY
A clear history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands can be had only from a British Survey of these islands conducted in 1777.The Andaman & Nicobar Islands remained secluded from the mainland till the end of the 18th century when people from the outside world first arrived

In the second century, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were located in the maps prepared by the great Greek astronomer, mathematician and geographer, Claudius Ptolemaeus , which possibly is the earliest reference to these islands. The early history of Nicobar is not well known although these islands, the islands being situated close to the trade route to the Far East. Though little is known about Portuguese activities in the islands, it is evident that the Portuguese missionaries started preaching Christianity among the islanders. The Nicobarese language also reflected a few Portuguese words. Accordingto the recommendation of these two officers the first British settlement was founded in 1789 on Chatham Island, near Port Cornwallis(Now port Blair). The history of the British in the Andaman and Nicobar islands began in 1788 when Lord Cornwallis, the then Governor General of India, through of colonizing the islands and instructed Lt. Archibald Blair and Lt. R.H.Colebrook of the Royal Navy to survey the islands and submit a report on their suitability for a British Colony.