|
 Andaman
& Nicobar Islands is an Union Territory of
India.
There are 2
Districts, 9 Panchayat Blocks, and 65 Panchayat Villages in this
State. There are 3 Cities and Towns in this Union Territory.
This Union Territory is situated between 6° and
14° North Latitude and 92°
and 94° East Longitude. The group of 572
islands/ Islets lies in the Bay of Bengal, 193 km from Cape
Negaris in Burma (Myanmar), 1,255 km from Kolkata and 1,190 km
from Chennai. Two principal groups of islets are Ritchie's
Archipelago and Labyrinth Islands. The Nicobar Islands are
situated to the south of Andamans, 121 km from Little Andaman
Island. There are 38 inhabited islands, including 25 in the
Andaman district and 13 in the Nicobar district.
WILDLIFE:
There
are 96 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 9 National Parks and 1 Biosphere
Reserve in these Islands.
Mammals
-
Out of 55 terrestrial and 7 Marine mammal species reported so
far, 32 species are endemic.
Birds
-
As many as 246 species and sub species of birds are reported to
inhabit these Islands, and of these, 99 species and sub species
are endemic.
Reptiles
-
There are 76 terrestrial reptiles of these 24 species are
endemic.
Marine
Life
-
Islands Harbour more than 1,200 species of fish, 350 species of
echinoderms, 1,000 species of mollusks and many more lower forms
of life. Among vertebrates dugongs, dolphins, whales, salt water
crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes, etc., are common. Coral
and Coral reefs – So far, 179 species of corals
belonging to 61 genera have been reported. Reefs are mostly
fringing type on eastern coast and barrier type on the western
coast. |
