Britannica AI Icon

South Andaman Island

island, Indian Ocean

Quick Summary

South Andaman Island is a key island within the Andaman Islands archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean and part of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is one of the three major islands collectively known as Great Andaman. The island is home to Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), the capital of the union territory. South Andaman features hilly terrain with Mount Harriet as a prominent elevation. The island's climate is tropical, with a distinct monsoon season. Historically, it served as a penal colony and is now a significant administrative and naval center. In 2004, the island, like the rest of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was affected by a large tsunami.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.