NICOBAR (nik't?-biir') ISLANDS. A group of islands in the Indian Ileeall beginning 130 miles northwest of Sumatra and stretching northwestward for 200 miles French 'En do ('hina, 11 0). They form with the Andaman Islands to the north of them the northern ex tension of the great chain of islands of which Sumatra and Java are the principal members. The group consists of 19 islands, of which 12 are inhabited, the largest being Great and Little Nicobar in the south, Camorta in the centre, and Car Nicobar in the north. The arca of Great Nicobar, the largest, is 337, and of the whole group (184 square miles. The southern islands are mountainous and covered with dense forests; those in the north are low, less fertile, but supporting large numbers of cocoa-palms. The climate is hot, humid, and very unhealthful for Euroimcans. The Nicobarese are classed with the Selungs of the Mergui Archipelago as Indone sians. The inhabitants of the smaller islands and of the coast of Great Nicobar have inter mixed with Malays. In all probability they be
long originally to one of the primitive stocks of Farther India (proto-Malay?) with Negrito and Malay admixtures. The northern Nicobarese are monogamons and value chastity very highly. In 1901 the inhabitants mimbered 0310. They are chiefly supported by their large trade in cocoanuts and copra. 'Formerly they were en gaged in piracy and wrecking, lint have been peaceful since the British occupation. The islands are, together with the Andamans, gov erned by a British ehief commissioner. The British Government agent resides at .Nancowry Harbor, where there is a tine landlocked harbor between Camorta and Nancowry islands. The Nicobar 'Islands were settled by Demnark in I75G, but her attempts at coloni::at ion were unsuccess ful, and she abandoned them in 1848. In 1S69 they were annexed by Great Britain.