Chowra Island

Chowra
Native name: Sőnenyő / Sanenyo / Sanenya
Chowra
Location of Chowra Island in India
Geography
Location Bay of Bengal
Coordinates 8°27′18″N 93°02′42″E / 8.455°N 93.045°E / 8.455; 93.045Coordinates: 8°27′18″N 93°02′42″E / 8.455°N 93.045°E / 8.455; 93.045
Archipelago Nicobar Islands
Adjacent bodies of water Indian Ocean
Total islands 1
Major islands
  • Chowra
Area 5.85 km2 (2.26 sq mi)[1]
Length 2.3 km (1.43 mi)
Width 3.3 km (2.05 mi)
Coastline 10 km (6 mi)
Highest elevation 104.5 m (342.8 ft)
Administration
District Nicobar
Island group Nicobar Islands
Subdivisions of India Nancowry Subdivision
Largest settlement Southern Agency (pop. 750)
Demographics
Population 1270 (2011)
Pop. density 217 /km2 (562 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Nicobarese people
Additional information
Time zone
PIN 744301
Telephone code 03192
ISO code IN-AN-00[2]
Official website www.and.nic.in
Literacy 84.4%
Avg. summer temperature 32.0 °C (89.6 °F)
Avg. winter temperature 28.0 °C (82.4 °F)
Sex ratio ♂/♀
Census Code 35.638.0002
Official Languages Hindi, English, Tamil
Car (regional)

Chowra is an island in the Andaman and Nicobar islands group of India. It is located to the north of Teressa island and to the south of Battimalv Island in the India Ocean. It is also known as Choura, Tatat or Sanenyo.[3]

History

The island suffered severe damage during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[4]

Geography

The island is generally flat but has a 104.5 m high rocky upland at its southern end. Coral reefs extend about 1.5 miles from the northwestern side of the island.[5]

Demographics

The island has three villages, belonging to 5 clans. Tahaila Beach is located on the east coast, where the jetty is. Northern Agency and Southern Agency are in the middle of the island, and consist of former inhabitants of: Alhiat, Chongkamong, Kuitasuk, Raihion and Tahaila. According to 2011 census, 1270 people lived in the three villages on the island:[6]

  • Tahaila Beach: 10
  • Northern Agency: 517
    • Tahaila: 372
    • Chongkamong: 145
  • Southern Agency: 743
    • Alhiat: 190
    • Kuitasuk: 277
    • Raihion: 276

Administration

The island belongs to the township of Nancowry of Teressa Taluk.[7]

Culture

Chowra island has five clans. Each year, one of the clans organizes a 3-week festival Panuohonot ("pig festival") according to the rotation system. The preparation for the festival lasts several months, and members of the other clans offer some help with the organization. The festival is celebrated in memory of the ancestors, at the onset of north-east winds.[8]:131 The festival features singing and dancing, with a canoe race at the end. At the onset of the south-west winds, Kancheuollo ("chicken festival") is celebrated.[8]:4

References

  1. ↑ "Islandwise Area and Population - 2011 Census" (PDF). Government of Andaman.
  2. ↑ Registration Plate Numbers added to ISO Code
  3. ↑ G. K Ghosh (1998). Tourism Perspective in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. APH Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-81-7024-978-8.
  4. ↑ After the Tsunami: A Scientist's Dilemma by Simron Singh. Science 7 July 2006: Vol. 313 no. 5783 pp. 32-35. DOI: 10.1126/science.313.5783.32
  5. ↑ India and the Bay of Bengal. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, 2014.
  6. ↑ "District Census Handbook - Andaman & Nicobar Islands" (PDF). 2011 Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  7. ↑ Tehsils
  8. 1 2 Geeti Sen (2001). The Human Landscape. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-2045-5.


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