Nicobar Islands

Nicobar Islands
/nik"euh bahr'/
a group of islands of India in the E part of the Bay of Bengal, forming the S part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 30,433; 635 sq. mi. (1645 sq. km).

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▪ islands, India
      island group, Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory, India. The Nicobar Islands lie in the Indian Ocean about 800 miles (1,300 km) east of Sri Lanka and have an area of 711 square miles (1,841 square km). The Nicobars, along with the Andaman Islands to the north, constitute the boundary between the southeastern Bay of Bengal (Bengal, Bay of) (west) and the Andaman Sea (east). The Nicobar group includes the islands of Car Nicobar (north), Camorta (Kamorta) and Nancowry (central group), and Great Nicobar (south).

      Though very little is known about the islands' earliest history, the Thanjavur inscription (1050 CE) of the Chola dynasty describes the land as Nakkavaram (“Land of the Naked”). Danish missionaries visited the islands in 1756. In 1868–88 the islands were claimed by the British, who established a penal colony there. The Nicobar Islands were occupied by the Japanese during World War II. In December 2004 the islands were hit by a large tsunami that had been triggered by a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia. The Nicobars suffered extensive damage, and many people were killed.

      Car Nicobar is flat with rich, fertile soils. Nancowry, Camorta, and Great Nicobar are hilly. The highest peak is Mount Thullier, rising to 2,106 feet (642 metres) on Great Nicobar. The islands are densely forested with coconut and betel-nut palms and pandanus, mango, margosa, and beefwood (Casuarina) trees. The population consists mostly of two ethnic groups, the Nicobarese and the Shompens. Agriculture is the principal occupation; crops include rice, corn (maize), fruits, vegetables, coconuts, and betel nuts. Copra (dried coconut) making and oil pressing are the chief industries. The only important town is on Car Nicobar.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nicobar Islands — [nik′ō bär΄, nik΄ō bär′] group of islands in the Bay of Bengal: 635 sq mi (1,645 sq km): see ANDAMAN ISLANDS …   English World dictionary

  • Nicobar Islands —   [ nɪkəʊbɑː aɪləndz], Inselgruppe im Indischen Ozean, Nikobaren …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Nicobar Islands — Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands (Hindi: निकोबार द्वीप समूह or नारिकेलद्वीप, [nɪkoːˈbaːr ˈd̪ʋiːp səˈmuːɦ], Bengali: নিকোবর দ্বীপপুঞ্জ, Tamil: நக்காவரம்) are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in… …   Wikipedia

  • Nicobar Islands — Nic′o•bar Is′lands [[t]ˈnɪk əˌbɑr[/t]] n. pl. geg a group of islands of India in the E part of the Bay of Bengal, forming the S part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 30,433; 635 sq. mi. (1645 sq. km) …   From formal English to slang

  • Nicobar Islands — /nɪkəbar ˈaɪləndz/ (say nikuhbahr uyluhndz) plural noun a group of small islands belonging to India in the Bay of Bengal, west of the Malay Peninsula; a part of the centrally administered territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 1645 km2 …  

  • Nicobar Islands — /nik euh bahr / a group of islands of India in the E part of the Bay of Bengal, forming the S part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 30,433; 635 sq. mi. (1645 sq. km) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Nicobar Islands — geographical name islands India in Indian Ocean S of Andaman Islands area 740 square miles (1917 square kilometers), population 14,563 see Andaman and Nicobar …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • NICOBAR ISLANDS —    (7), a group of picturesque islands in the Indian Ocean, S. of the Andaman Islands and midway between Ceylon and the Malay Peninsula; 14 of the 20 islands are inhabited, chiefly by indigenous Indians and Malays; after being in the hands of… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Nicobar Islands — noun An archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Syn: Nicobars …   Wiktionary

  • Nicobar Islands — isl. terr. of India; 19 isls. in the Bay of Bengal; 754 sq. mi.; pop. 22,000 …   Webster's Gazetteer

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