The Andamanese is a collective term to describe the peoples who are the aboriginal inhabitants of the Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal. Till 1850, the Andamanese lived in complete isolation. It was after 1850 that they came in contact with the outside world.
Nicobarese were the aborigines of the Nicobar Islands; they lived in the Nicobar group of islands with Shompens.
- Great Andamanese :- who collectively represented at least 10 distinct sub-groups and languages.
- Jarawa :- They are distributed across western side of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands. Since 1998, they have been in increasing contact with the outside world. All contact, especially with tourists, remains extremely dangerous to the Jarawa due to the risk of disease.
- Onge :-They are one of the Andamanese adivasi indigenous peoples. They are sometimes classified as "Negritos". They were formerly distributed across Little Andaman Island and the nearby islets and the southern tip of South Andaman Island. This semi-nomadic tribe used to be fully dependent on hunting and gathering for food.
- Shompen :-The habitation of Shompens is the Great Nicobar which is the largest among the Nicobar group of Islands. Like the Nicobarese, they belong to the Mongoloid race.
- Sentinelese :- The Sentinelese are the inhabitants of North Sentinel Island.
- Jangil :-They were formerly distributed through the interior of Rutland Island, and were given the name Rutland Jarawa because it was supposed that they were related to the neighbouring Jarawa peoples.
Languages - Nicobarese, Telegu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Bengali.
Religion - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and others.
Helplines :-
- Andaman & Nicobar Airport (Veer Savarkar International Airport)
03192-233390/232983
- Police Control Room
03192-232100