The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located to the east of the Indian mainland, float in splendid isolation in the Bay of Bengal. Once a hill range extending from Myanmar to Indonesia, these picturesque and undulating islands, numbering around 836, are covered with dense rain-fed, damp, evergreen forests, and host an endless variety of exotic flora and fauna. The majority of these islands (about 550) are in the Andaman group, with 28 being inhabited. The smaller Nicobar group comprises around 22 main islands, 10 of which are inhabited. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are separated by the Ten Degree Channel, which is 150 kilometers wide.