Sentinelese
The Sentinelese, also known as the Sentineli and the North Sentinel Islanders, are indigenous people who inhabit North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Designated a particularly vulnerable tribal group and a Scheduled Tribe, they belong to the broader class of Andamanese peoples.
Total population | |
---|---|
35–400 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
North Sentinel Island, India | |
Languages | |
Sentinelese (presumed) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Possibly Jarawa or Onge | |
North Sentinel Island North Sentinel Island (India) North Sentinel Island North Sentinel Island (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) |
Along with the Great Andamanese, the Jarawas, the Onge, the Shompen, and the Nicobarese, the Sentinelese are one of the six native and often reclusive peoples of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Unlike the others, the Sentinelese appear to have consistently refused any interaction with the outside world. They are hostile to outsiders and have killed people who approached or landed on the island.
In 1956, the Government of India declared North Sentinel Island a tribal reserve and prohibited travel within 3 nautical miles (5.6 kilometres) of it. It further maintains a constant armed patrol in the surrounding waters to prevent intrusions by outsiders. Photography is prohibited. There is significant uncertainty as to the group's size, with estimates ranging between 35 and 500 individuals, but mostly between 50 and 200.