Also: 10 degree channel, Ten Degree Channel Andaman Nicobar
Definition
The Ten Degree Channel is the sea passage, roughly 150 km wide, that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, named after the 10° North line of latitude that runs through it.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands form an arc of more than 500 islands stretching from near Myanmar towards Sumatra. They are the peaks of a submarine mountain range that continues the Arakan Yoma of Myanmar and is linked to the subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Burma microplate. Within this arc, the Andaman group lies to the north and the Nicobar group to the south, separated by a wide stretch of open sea. Because the 10° North parallel runs through this gap, it became known as the Ten Degree Channel.
On the northern side of the channel lies Little Andaman, home to the Onge people, and on the southern side lies Car Nicobar, the northernmost of the Nicobar Islands. The channel has been used by shipping and fishing vessels moving between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. India's other well-known channels lie elsewhere: the Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep group around Kalpeni, the Eight Degree Channel lies between Minicoy and the Maldives, and the Six Degree Channel separates Great Nicobar from Sumatra.
Create a free account to read 5 full pages a month, or upgrade for unlimited access. The definition above, the A–Z index and the pop-up definitions in lessons stay free.
