What is North Sentinel Island?
North Sentinel Island is one of the Indian Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Sankei News reports it as “the last frontier of the world”. According to “99 Forbidden Areas of the World You Can’t Visit”, the island is about 72 square kilometers in size, about the same as Hachijo Island in Tokyo. It is mostly covered by dense forest and surrounded by coral reefs.
The indigenous people who live on the island are called Sentinelese, and they live by hunting and gathering. They are believed to have migrated from Africa thousands of years ago, but their origin and language are unknown. They stubbornly refuse contact with the outside world, and they drive away anyone who tries to land on their island with bows and arrows.
Incidents that occurred on North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island is a protected area to preserve the tribal life, and entry within about 9 kilometers is prohibited. However, there have been several incidents where people who tried to land on the island were killed.
- 1974: A documentary film crew was attacked and an arrow stuck in their thigh.
- 2004: The year after the Sumatra earthquake, an Indian Coast Guard helicopter flew over the island to check for tsunami damage. At that time, Sentinelese were seen aiming bows and arrows at the helicopter.
- 2006: Two local fishermen drifted onto North Sentinel Island. They were killed by the tribe.
- 2018: An American missionary tried to land on the island to spread Christianity. He was killed by the tribe.
In a recent incident, 26-year-old John Allen Chau went to North Sentinel Island to spread Christianity. He hired local fishermen to get close to the island and tried to land on it alone by canoe. However, he was killed by the tribe. His body was seen being dragged away by the tribe, but it could not be recovered.
The Indian government announced that it would crack down on entry to North Sentinel Island in response to this incident. It also reaffirmed its policy of respecting the life and culture of the Sentinelese and not interfering from outside.
Urban legends about North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island is known as the most isolated island in the world. Therefore, there are many urban legends and rumors about it. Here are some examples.
- There are giant snakes or monsters living on the island.
- The island has a secret base or nuclear weapons hidden underground.
- The island is a base for aliens or UFOs.
- The island is part of the lost continent of Atlantis.
- The island is a place that predicts the end of the world.
These urban legends have no scientific basis or evidence, and lack credibility. However, they stimulate people’s imagination as elements that enhance the mystery and charm of North Sentinel Island.
Summary of North Sentinel Island
This article described the forbidden island of North Sentinel. This island is one of the Indian Andaman Islands, where indigenous people who refuse contact with the outside world live. They live a stone-age-like life and repel outsiders with bows and arrows. The Indian government has banned entry to this island for safety reasons. There are many urban legends and rumors about this island, but their truth is unknown. North Sentinel Island deserves to be called the last frontier of the world.
