At the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India made up of 572 islands, 37 of which are inhabited. The Andaman Sea divides the region from Thailand and Myanmar, and it is located roughly 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia. It consists of two island groups, the Andaman Islands (partially) and the Nicobar Islands, which are situated north and south of this latitude, respectively, and are divided by the 150 km (100 miles) wide Ten Degree Channel (on the 10°N parallel) (or by 179 km; 111 miles). To the east and west, respectively, are the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The Arakan Mountains are believed to have a submerged extension in the form of the island chains. The town of Port Blair serves as the territory's capital. The islands' total land area is roughly 8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi). Three districts make up the territory: the Nicobar District, whose capital is Car Nicobar; the South Andaman District, whose capital is Port Blair; and the North and Middle Andaman District, whose capital is Mayabunder. The Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only geographical tri-service command of the Indian Armed Forces, is located on the islands. The Sentinelese people, an uncontacted tribe, reside on the Andaman Islands. The Sentinelese may be the only people alive today who have not advanced beyond a Paleolithic level of technology, but this is debatable because metalworking evidence was discovered on their island.
