Port Blair
Port Blair (ⓘ) is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division (tehsil) of the islands, the headquarters for the district of South Andaman and is the territory's only notified town.
Port Blair | |
|---|---|
City | |
Clockwise from top: Aerial view of Port Blair, Seaside Road, Cellular Jail, Jaljeevshala Aquarium, Port Blair Science Centre, Beach in Port Blair | |
Port Blair Location in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Port Blair Port Blair (Bay of Bengal) | |
| Coordinates: 11°40′06″N 92°44′16″E | |
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| District | South Andaman |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| • Body | Port Blair Municipal Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 41 km2 (16 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 140,572 |
| Time zone | UTC+5.30 (IST) |
| Climate | Am |
Port Blair serves as the entry point for visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is connected with mainland India by both air and sea. It is a two to three-hour flight from mainland India to Port Blair's Veer Savarkar International Airport, and three to four days by sea to reach Kolkata, Chennai, or Visakhapatnam from Haddo Wharf in the city. It is home to several museums and a major naval base INS Jarawa of the Indian Navy, along with sea and air bases of the Indian Coast Guard, Andaman and Nicobar Police, Andaman and Nicobar Command, the first integrated tri-command of the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Air Force.
The historic Cellular Jail is in the city, and nearby small islands such as Corbyn's Cove, Wandoor, Ross Island, Viper Island were once home to British colonists. Port Blair has been selected as one of the cities to be developed as a smart city under the Smart Cities Mission.
The city was named after Captain Archibald Blair, a British colonial navy official of the East India Company.