Great Nicobar
Encyclopedia
Great Nicobar is the largest of the Nicobar Islands
of India
, north of Sumatra
. Indira Point
, its southernmost tip, is also the southernmost point of India
. The island of Sumatra
is located to the south of Great Nicobar. The island covers 1045 km² but is sparsely inhabited, with a population of 9439, largely being covered by rainforest
and known for its diverse wildlife
.
The island was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
tsunami
with many deaths, and was cut off from all outside contact for more than a day.
.
Indira Point was submerged in the 2004 tsunami.
— home to many unique and endemic
species of plants and animals including the Nicobar scrubfowl
(Megapodius nicobariensis, a megapode bird), the Edible-nest Swiftlet
(Aerodramus fuciphagus), the Nicobar Long-tailed Macaque
(Macaca fascicularis umbrosa), saltwater crocodile
(Crocodylus porosus), Giant Leatherback Sea Turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea), Malayan box turtle, Nicobar tree shrew, reticulated python
(Python reticulatus) and the giant robber crab
(or coconut crab, Birgus latro).
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, north of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. Indira Point
Indira Point
Indira Point is situated on the island of Great Nicobar in the Nicobar Islands, eastern Indian Ocean, and it represents the southernmost point of land in the territory of India. The point is located in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is named in honour of Indira Gandhi...
, its southernmost tip, is also the southernmost point of India
Extreme points of India
The extreme points of India include the coordinates that are further north, south, east or west than any other location in India; and the highest and the lowest altitudes in the country. Also included in this list is the southern-most Indian station in Antarctica...
. The island of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
is located to the south of Great Nicobar. The island covers 1045 km² but is sparsely inhabited, with a population of 9439, largely being covered by rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
and known for its diverse wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
.
The island was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
with many deaths, and was cut off from all outside contact for more than a day.
Topography
The island has several rivers, including the Alexandra, Amrit Kaur, Dogmar and Galathea. Virtually all rivers flow in a southern or southwesterly direction, which is indicative of the general slope of the terrain across the island. There are undulating hills throughout the island, with the main range running in a north-south orientation. Mount Thuillier, which is part of this range, has the highest elevation of any point in the Nicobars, at 642 m above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
Indira Point was submerged in the 2004 tsunami.
Fauna
The majority of the island is designated as the Great Nicobar Biosphere ReserveGreat Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve encompasses a large part of the island of Great Nicobar, the largest of the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Nicobars lie in the Bay of Bengal, eastern Indian Ocean, 190 km to the north of the Indonesian island of...
— home to many unique and endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
species of plants and animals including the Nicobar scrubfowl
Nicobar Scrubfowl
The Nicobar Megapode or Nicobar Scrubfowl is a megapode found in some of the Nicobar Islands . Like other megapodes relatives, it builds a large mound nest with soil and vegetation, with the eggs hatched by the heat produced by decomposition...
(Megapodius nicobariensis, a megapode bird), the Edible-nest Swiftlet
Edible-nest Swiftlet
The Edible-nest Swiftlet is a small bird of the swift family which is found in South-east Asia. Its nest is made of solidified saliva and is used to make bird's nest soup.-Description:...
(Aerodramus fuciphagus), the Nicobar Long-tailed Macaque
Nicobar Long-tailed Macaque
The Nicobar long-tailed macaque is a subspecies of the crab-eating macaque , endemic to the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal...
(Macaca fascicularis umbrosa), saltwater crocodile
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
(Crocodylus porosus), Giant Leatherback Sea Turtle
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its...
(Dermochelys coriacea), Malayan box turtle, Nicobar tree shrew, reticulated python
Reticulated Python
Python reticulatus, also known as the reticulated python is a species of python found in Southeast Asia. Adults can grow to over 8.7 m in length but normally grow to an average of 3-6 m . They are the world's longest snakes and longest reptile, but are not the most heavily built...
(Python reticulatus) and the giant robber crab
Coconut crab
The coconut crab, Birgus latro, is a species of terrestrial hermit crab, also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit of terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in today's atmosphere at a weight of up to...
(or coconut crab, Birgus latro).