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Deep in the Bay of Bengal lies North Sentinel Island, one of the world’s most isolated places where outsiders are legally banned from entering.
News18
Far out in the Bay of Bengal lies North Sentinel Island, one of the most isolated and heavily protected places in India. Part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the remote island is home to the Sentinelese, an indigenous tribe believed to have lived largely untouched by the outside world for thousands of years. The Indian government strictly prohibits anyone from approaching the island in order to protect both the tribe and outsiders from potentially dangerous contact.
North Sentinel Island is still heavily forested, while coral reefs surround its coasts.
Due to the presence of the coral reefs, the island’s coast is hard to reach for large boats. Many pictures or videos taken of this island are done through aerial surveillance due to tight security around the region.
Sentinelese is well-known for their reluctance to make any contact with outsiders.
They have been known to defend the island with bows and arrows against any intrusion by strangers in the past. Scientists have concluded that they purposely avoid contact with outsiders.
Traveling near the island is banned within several nautical miles of North Sentinel Island by the Indian government.
These bans are made not only for the protection of the outsiders from possible attack but also for protection from potential disease exposure. Scientists note that small isolated tribes might be prone to any common illnesses because their immune system might not be capable of fighting viruses. Several cases related to this issue caught international attention.
There was an incident involving two people in 2006. Their boat got out of control while the men were sleeping and got closer to the North Sentinel Island. As per reports, both men got murdered soon after getting to the shore. The government refused to recover the bodies due to safety concerns.
North Sentinel Island attracted international attention in 2018 too.
American missionary John Allen Chau violated the government’s bans and visited the island. As per reports, he got murdered almost immediately after arriving at the shore. The topic became hot due to discussions regarding protective laws for tribes.
Not much information is available about the population, language, and customs.
Researchers refrain from interacting directly in order to keep the tribe safe.
North Sentinel Island is still one of the most enigmatic and remote locations in the world today.
What was marked as an island covered with forests on the map has now become famous as a location that the outside world cannot enter into under any circumstances.
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