Baratang Island
 Baratang Island
Location of Baratang Island
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bay of Bengal |
| Coordinates | 12°11′N 92°48′E / 12.18°N 92.80°ECoordinates: 12°11′N 92°48′E / 12.18°N 92.80°E |
| Archipelago | Andaman Islands |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Indian Ocean |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Major islands |
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| Area | 242.6 km2 (93.7 sq mi) |
| Length | 27.8 km (17.27 mi) |
| Width | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| Coastline | 117 km (72.7 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 76 m (249 ft) |
| Highest point | north point hill |
| Administration | |
| District | North and Middle Andaman |
| Island group | Andaman Islands |
| Great Andaman | |
| Taluk | Rangat |
| Largest settlement | Nilambur (pop. 1600) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 5691 (2011)census 2011, only villages on Baratang |
| Pop. density | 23.45 /km2 (60.74 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Hindu, Andamanese |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| PIN | 744202 |
| Telephone code | 031927 |
| ISO code | IN-AN-00 |
| Official website | www |
| Literacy | 75.4% |
| Avg. summer temperature | 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 23.0 °C (73.4 °F) |
| Sex ratio | 1.05♂/♀ |
| Census Code | 35.639.0002 |
| Official Languages | Hindi, English |
Baratang Island is an island of the Andaman Islands. It belongs to the North and Middle Andaman administrative district, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island lies 150 km. (93 miles) north of Port Blair.
Ranchiwalas Island is another name for Baratang Island. Towards the close of the nineteenth century, the city of Ranchi experienced political upheaval. Many locals sought refuge by converting to Christianity with the help of the missionaries there. The British, realizing the future prospects of the forests of Andaman and Nicobar islands, sent the converts to Baratang Island to cultivate crops. The laborers from Ranchi settled there and made new lives for themselves. A lighthouse was commissioned in 1985 at the eastern entrance to the Andaman strait.
The island belongs to the Great Andaman Chain, and with an area of 242.6 square kilometres (93.7 sq mi) it is one of the main islands of the group, a closely set archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, adjoining the Andaman Sea. Middle Andaman is to its north, and South Andaman to the south. Beaches, mangrove creeks, limestone caves, and mud volcanoes are some of the physical features. The islands of Ritchie's Archipelago lie 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) to the east. Port Blair, the capital of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is located approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the southern tip of Baratang. Baratang contains the only known examples of mud volcanoes in India. These mud volcanoes have erupted sporadically, with recent eruptions in 2005 believed to have been associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The previous major eruption recorded was on 18 February 2003. The locals call this mud volcano jalki. There are other volcanoes in the area, the Barren Island volcano which is the only active volcano in South Asia, and the Narcondum volcano which is considered to be a potentially active volcano.
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