Declining population of Great Andamanese
- August 29, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
No Comments
Subject: Geography
Context:
Nine members of the dwindling Great Andamanese tribe have tested Covid-19 positive.
Concept:
- Great Andamanese are part of the Negrito tribes that inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands
- The language of the Great Andamanese, Sare, has largely been lost, with the last surviving speaker dying earlier this year. The tribe now speaks mostly Hindi.
- Major factors contributing to the diminishing population of the Great Andamanes include environmental ‘disturbances’, contagious diseases as a result of contact with city dwellers, and a high mortality rate assisted by addictions to alcohol, tobacco and opium.