North Cinque Island
Nickname: Gue-a-lue
North Cinque Island is located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
North Cinque Island
North Cinque Island
Location in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in the Bay of Bengal
North Cinque Island is located in Bay of Bengal
North Cinque Island
North Cinque Island
North Cinque Island (Bay of Bengal)
Geography
LocationBay of Bengal
Coordinates11°18′50″N 92°42′50″E / 11.314°N 92.714°E / 11.314; 92.714
ArchipelagoAndaman Islands
Adjacent toIndian Ocean
Area1.988 km2 (0.768 sq mi)[1]
Length3.6 km (2.24 mi)
Width2 km (1.2 mi)
Coastline12 km (7.5 mi)
Highest elevation154 m (505 ft)[2]
Administration
DistrictSouth Andaman
Island groupAndaman Islands
Island sub-groupCinque Islands
TehsilPort Blair Tehsil
Largest settlementNorth Cinque Island (Wildlife Station)
Demographics
Population0 (2011)
Additional information
Time zone
PIN744202[3]
Telephone code031927 [4]
ISO codeIN-AN-00[5]
Official websitewww.and.nic.in

North Cinque Island or Gue-a-lue[6] is an uninhabited island of the Andaman Islands. It belongs to the South Andaman administrative district, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[7] The island is 37 km (23 mi) south of Port Blair.

Geography

The island belongs to the Cinque Islands of Rutland Archipelago and is located 5.5 km (3 mi) southeast of Rutland Island. The passage between North Cinque and Rutland is called Manners Strait. North Cinque Island and South Cinque Island, 1.5 km (1 mi) to the south, are sometimes considered to be a single Cinque Island. North Cinque consists of three rocky Peninsulas connected by sand bars. The northern peninsula is the largest one, 2.9 km long in the N-S direction and 1.1 km wide; it has two adjacent hills about 154 m and 145 m high.[2] The middle (southernmost) peninsula, 1.05 km across, lies 270 m to the south and has a bare hill 89 m high.[2] About 150 m to its west lies the third and smallest peninsula, an oval knob about 450 m across. The sand bar between the south and north peninsulas was broken through in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami but has since reformed.[8]

Administration

Politically, North Cinque Island is part of Port Blair Taluk.[9]

Demographics

There was a wildlife station on the island, but it was abandoned after budget cuts at 2011.[10] There is a lighthouse at the top of the tallest hill on the northern part of North Cinque, established 1972, about 2 km from the landing point.[11][12]

Fauna

The Cinque Islands have been declared a sanctuary as they house an enormous variety of coral reefs, sea weeds, colorful fishes, shells, starfish, sea anemones, salt-water crocodile, turtles and water snakes.[13]

Tourism

The island is a popular destination for underwater diving. It is best known for its coral richness and beach beauty.[14] It was named as one of the most visited locations of Andamans.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Islandwise Area and Population - 2011 Census" (PDF). Government of Andaman. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 173: India and the Bay of Bengal (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 288.
  3. ^ "A&N Islands - Pincodes". 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  4. ^ "STD Codes of Andaman and Nicobar". allcodesindia.in. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  5. ^ Registration Plate Numbers added to ISO Code
  6. ^ US Hydrographic Office (1916) Bay of Bengal Pilot, page 288. H.O. pub. 160, Government Printing Office.
  7. ^ "Village Code Directory: Andaman & Nicobar Islands" (PDF). Census of India. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  8. ^ Pankak Sekhsaria (2009), North Cinque Island Wildlife Sanctuary. Accessed on 2012-07-13
  9. ^ "DEMOGRAPHIC – A&N ISLANDS" (PDF). andssw1.and.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Cinque Island" (PDF). andssw1.and.nic.in. 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  11. ^ North Cinque lighthouse Archived 6 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Government of India, Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. Accessed on 2012-07-05.
  12. ^ "North Cinque Lighthouse" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  13. ^ "North Andaman". Andaman Experts. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016.
  14. ^ "Cinque Island in Andaman and Nicobar, Cinque Island India". indiatravelnext.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Perspective Plan for Tourism Development in Andaman and Nicobar Islands" (PDF). incredibleindia.org. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rutland Island.
Categories