# Ritchie's Archipelago > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ritchie's_Archipelago > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ritchie's_Archipelago.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritchie's_Archipelago > Source revision: 1353277534 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Ritchie's Archipelago Nickname: John Ritchie's Archipelago Location in Andaman Islands Ritchie's Archipelago Show map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Ritchie's Archipelago Show map of India Geography Location Bay of Bengal Coordinates 12°03′N 93°01′E / 12.05°N 93.02°E / 12.05; 93.02 Archipelago Andaman Islands Adjacent to Indian Ocean Total islands 20 Major islands Swaraj Island Henry Lawrence Island John Lawrence Island Sir William Peel Island Shaheed Island Area 252.1 km2 (97.3 sq mi)[1] Highest elevation 216 m (709 ft)[2] Highest point Round Hill, Wilson Island Administration India District South Andaman Island group Andaman Islands Tehsil Ritchie's Archipelago Tehsil Largest settlement Govinda Nagar Demographics Population 9355 (2011) Pop. density 37.1/km2 (96.1/sq mi) Ethnic groups Bengali Hindu, Andamanese Additional information Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) PIN 7442xx[3] Telephone code 031927[4] ISO code IN-AN-00[5] Official website www.and.nic.in Literacy 84.4% Avg. summer temperature 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) Avg. winter temperature 23.0 °C (73.4 °F) Sex ratio 1.2♂/♀ Census Code 35.639.0004 Official Languages Hindi, English **Ritchie's Archipelago** is a cluster of smaller islands which lie 20 km (12 mi) east of [Great Andaman](/source/Great_Andaman), the main island group of the [Andaman Islands](/source/Andaman_Islands). The Islands belong to the [South Andaman](/source/South_Andaman_district) administrative [district](/source/Districts_of_India), part of the [Indian](/source/India) [union territory](/source/Union_territory) of [Andaman and Nicobar Islands](/source/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands).[6] ## Etymology The archipelago is named after an 18th-century [British](/source/British_Empire) [marine surveyor](/source/Marine_surveyor), [John Ritchie](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Ritchie_(marine_surveyor)&action=edit&redlink=1), who spent nearly two decades in the employ of the Council of Bengal charting and documenting the Andaman's and surrounding regions. The individual islands are largely named after British generals and civil officials serving in India at the time of the [Indian Rebellion of 1857](/source/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857). Of the archipelago which now bears his name, Ritchie's accounts and maps were the first reliable sources of information on the islands, which until then were very sketchily known to Europeans. Ritchie was one who championed that the [British administration in India](/source/British_Raj) make further investigation and use of the Andamans. During Ritchie's time these entreaties were largely ignored. Perhaps frustrated and disillusioned after years of thankless work under difficult circumstances, Ritchie requested to be returned for home leave, which he was in 1787. An extract from his parting note to his superiors explained: *"The condition of my health being such as requires an immediate change of climate... after a series of 19 years continuous service in the office of Marine Surveyor, I hope there is no impropriety in my requesting the favour, also... to continue my allowance to me... It is a small salary, and the receipt of it has been the only advantage I have ever reaped from the Company's service, and because my Line of Service, from its singularity, has had no gradation of advancement... whilst its Duties have been uncommonly severe, uncommonly hazardous, and equally unprofitable; for what advantage could be obtained from tracking a Labyrinth of Woods and Rivers? Or from exploring the Shoals of a shelving and broken Sea Coast? All of which uninhabited, and seldom visited, except perhaps in the disastrous case of shipwreck... In the meantime it has been from my Labours, that the Hon'ble Company have obtained all authentic knowledge of the Sea Coast and Tide Rivers of their possessions in Bengal, together with other services more important and beneficial."*[7] Two years after Ritchie's departure, an attempt was made to set up a colony in the Andamans, but this was aborted after only a few years. It was not until 1867 that a permanent European presence was established, when the whole islands were [annexed](/source/Annexation) by the British and a [penal colony](/source/Penal_colony) established at [Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island](/source/Ross_Island%2C_South_Andaman_district) (Ross Island) on [South Andaman Island](/source/South_Andaman_Island). ## Geography The islands are located in the [Bay of Bengal](/source/Bay_of_Bengal), bordering with the [Andaman Sea](/source/Andaman_Sea) and are some 400 km (250 mi) south of the nearest [Asian](/source/Asia) mainland, [Cape Negrais](/source/Cape_Negrais) in [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar). The [archipelago](/source/Archipelago) comprises 4 larger islands, 3 medium islands, and 10 smaller islands and [islets](/source/Islet), extending in a roughly north–south chain, parallel to the main Great Andaman group. [Baratang Island](/source/Baratang) and [South Andaman Island](/source/South_Andaman_Island) lie to the west across [Diligent Strait](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diligent_Strait&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ceb](https://ceb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diligent_Strait); [it](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretto_di_Diligent); [pl](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cie%C5%9Bnina_Diligent)]; the [active volcano](/source/Active_volcano) [Barren Island](/source/Barren_Island_(Andaman_Islands)) is 85 km (53 mi) further to the east. The islands of Ritchie's Archipelago run in a closely spaced arc which extends about 60 km (37 mi) from the southernmost [Rose Island](/source/Rose_Island_(Andaman)). to [North Button I.](/source/North_Button_Island_National_Park), with Diligent Strait between them and Great Andaman ranging from 30 km (19 mi) to less than 10 km (6.2 mi). Most of the islands are clustered closely together separated by only narrow, almost river-like channels. The exceptions are [Rose Island](/source/Rose_Island_(Andaman)) and [Neill Island](/source/Neill_Island) to the south of [Havelock Island](/source/Havelock_Island), and the three small [Button Islands](/source/Button_Islands_(Andaman_Islands)) which are smaller outliers to the north of the group. The interior of most of the islands consists of undulating hills and plains, with a [topography](/source/Topography) generally not exceeding 100 m (330 ft) [above mean sea level](/source/Above_mean_sea_level). [Wilson Island](/source/Wilson_Island_(Ritchie's_Archipelago)) rises to 216 m.[2] Occasionally the land rises reasonably abruptly from the sea to a domed plateau, and there are a few rocky coastal cliffs; however, in the main the coastlines are relatively flat, interspersed by both rocky and sand beaches and some low-lying [lagoons](/source/Lagoon) and [estuaries](/source/Estuary) on the larger islands. [Coral reefs](/source/Coral_reef) surround many of the islands, particularly on the "sea-ward" (i.e., eastern) coastlines. Havelock, John Lawrence, Henry Lawrence, Peel and Outram islands have a few [tidal creeks](/source/Creek_(tidal)) winding into their interiors; in general freshwater [streams](/source/Stream) are few. ### Islands The main islands in the archipelago are: - **[Swaraj Dweep](/source/Havelock_Island) (Havelock Island)** - 92.2 km2 (35.6 sq mi) - [Sir William Peel Island](/source/Sir_William_Peel_Island) (Peel Island) - 23.7 km2 (9.2 sq mi) - [Nicholson Island](/source/Nicholson_Island_(Ritchie's_Archipelago)) - [Wilson Island](/source/Wilson_Island_(Ritchie's_Archipelago)) - 14.3 km2 (5.5 sq mi) - [John Lawrence Island](/source/John_Lawrence_Island) - 34.8 km2 (13.4 sq mi), formerly inhabited - [Henry Lawrence Island](/source/Henry_Lawrence_Island) - 54.7 km2 (21.1 sq mi) - [Inglis Island](/source/Inglis_Island_(Ritchie's_Archipelago)) - [Outram Island](/source/Outram_Island) - 13.9 km2 (5.4 sq mi) - **[Shaheed Dweep](/source/Neil_Island) (Neil Island)** - 13.7 km2 (5.3 sq mi) - [Sir Hugh Rose Island](/source/Sir_Hugh_Rose_Island) (Rose Island) - [Button Islands](/source/Button_Islands_(Andaman_Islands)) (North Button Island, Middle Button Island and South Button Island) ## Administration Politically, Ritchie's Archipelago is part of [Port Blair](/source/Port_Blair_tehsil) [Taluk](/source/Tehsils_of_India).[8] ## Demographics The islands were originally populated by the indigenous [Great Andamanese](/source/Great_Andamanese) peoples, in particular the tribal and linguistic grouping known as [Aka-Bale](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aka-Bale&action=edit&redlink=1). However, as the populations of the various Andamanese indigenous peoples declined greatly in the decades following the establishment of [colonial](/source/Colonialism) settlements by the [British Raj](/source/British_Raj) (and later, independent [India](/source/India)), the indigenous communities of these islands have vanished. The present population of the islands consists of immigrant [Indian](/source/Demographics_of_India) and a few [Karen (Burmese)](/source/Karen_people) settlers. The 2011 census of India reported 9,355 people living on two inhabited islands of Ritchie's Archipelago: [Havelock Island](/source/Havelock_Island) and [Neill Island](/source/Neill_Island). ## Transportation [Port Blair](/source/Port_Blair), is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) to the southwest of the archipelago, accessible via a 3-5 hour ferry trip. ## Image gallery - Outline map of the [Andaman Islands](/source/Andaman_Islands), with Ritchie's Archipelago highlighted (in red). - Beach view on [Havelock Island](/source/Havelock_Island) - Lagoon, Havelock Island - A beach on [Neill Island](/source/Neill_Island) - Forest cover, Shaheed Island ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-cit_1-0)** ["Islandwise Area and Population - 2011 Census"](http://andssw1.and.nic.in/ecostat/basicstatPDF2013_14/1.Demogrpahy.pdf) (PDF). Government of Andaman. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nga_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nga_2-1) [*Sailing Directions (Enroute),*Pub. 173:*India and the Bay of Bengal*](https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?key=16694491/SFH00000/Pub173bk.pdf&type=view) (PDF). *[Sailing Directions](/source/Sailing_Directions)*. [United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency](/source/National_Geospatial-Intelligence_Agency). 2017. p. 283. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["A&N Islands - Pincodes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140323224041/http://www.india-codes.com/pincodes/a-n-islands-pin-code). 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2016.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_bot:_original_URL_status_unknown)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-allcodesindia_4-0)** ["STD Codes of Andaman and Nicobar"](http://allcodesindia.in/stdcode/andaman+and+nicobar.php). allcodesindia.in. Retrieved 23 September 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Registration Plate Numbers added to ISO Code 1. **[^](#cite_ref-census_6-0)** ["Village Code Directory: Andaman & Nicobar Islands"](http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-VillageDirectory/Directory/short_code_rural_35.pdf) (PDF). Census of India. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Ritchie overstates the "uninhabited" nature of the islands, since he was well aware of the existence of the indigenous tribes, and had spent some time in the company and direct presence of several of them 1. **[^](#cite_ref-and_8-0)** ["DEMOGRAPHIC – A&N ISLANDS"](http://andssw1.and.nic.in/ecostat/basicstatPDF2013_14/1.Demogrpahy.pdf) (PDF). andssw1.and.nic.in. Retrieved 23 September 2016. - [India portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:India) - [Ritchie's Archipelago](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ritchie%27s_Archipelago#Q600466) travel guide from Wikivoyage - [Andaman Islands](/source/Andaman_Islands) - [Rani Jhansi Marine National Park](/source/Rani_Jhansi_Marine_National_Park) v t e South Andaman district Cities and towns Bombooflat Garacharma Port Blair Prothrapur Tehsils and villages Ferrargunj Alipur Aniket Badmash Pahar Balughat Beach Dera (EFA) Between Middle Strait (JPPC) & Jirkatang (JA) Bindraban Caddlegunj (incl. Sona Pahar & Hazari Bagh (JPPC) Chouldari Coffee Plot Colinpur Craikabad Dhanikhari Dundas Point Ferrargunj Flat Bay Govindapuram Guptapara Hashmatabad (EFA) Hashmatabad Herbertabad Hobdipur Homfreygunj Hope Town Jhinga Nallaha (JPPC & APWDC) Jirkatang No.2 (EFA) Kadakachang Kalatang Knapuram Malapuram Manglutan (EFA) Manglutan Manjeri & Line Dera (FC) Mannarghat Manpur Mathura Maymyo (EFA) Maymyo Middle Strait (JPPC) Mile Tilek (ARF) Mile Tilek (JPPC) Mile Tilek & Mile Tilek (EFA) Mithakhari Mohwa Dera Muslim Basti Namunaghar Nayashahar (EFA) Nayashahar North Bay Ograbraij Pongi Balu (FC) & Bada Balu (EFA) Port Mouat Shoal Bay Shore Point Stewartgunj Temple Myo Tirur (JA) Tirur Tushnabad Wandoor Wimberlygunj Wright Myo Little Andaman Butler Bay Forest Camp 4-I (FDCA) Butler Bay Forest Camp 4-II (FDCA) Butler Bay Forest Camp 4-III (FDCA) Butler Bay Forest Camp 4-IV (FDCA) Dugong Creek (OS) Forest Camp at 14 km. 5-II (FDCA) Forest Camp at 14 km. 5-III (FDCA) Forest Camp at 19 km. (FDCA) Harmender Bay (NS) Hut Bay Little Andaman M/s Asia & Company (Asia Timber Product) Netaji Nagar Rabindra Nagar Ramakrishnapur Red Oil Palm (Nursery Camp) Vivekanandapuram Port Blair Bada Khari (FC) Bamboo Nallaha(EFA) incl. Kichad Nallaha(EFA) Beadnabad Bejoy Nagar Bharatpur Bimilitan & Kodiyaghat Brichgunj Brookshabad part Calicut Chidiyatapu Chidiyatapu (WLS) Dollygunj Govinda Nagar Krishna Nagar Lakshmanpur, South Andaman Minnie Bay part Munda Pahar (EFA) Neil Kendra North Sentinel Island Prothrapur R.M.Point (FC) Radha Nagar Ram Nagar Rangachang Rutland School Line part Shyam Nagar Sippighat Sitapur Teylorabad --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ritchie's Archipelago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritchie's_Archipelago) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritchie's_Archipelago?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.