South Andaman Island is the southernmost island of the Great Andaman and is home to the majority of the population of the Andaman Islands. Port Blair, the capital of the islands, is located on the southern part of this island. Some areas of the island are restricted areas for non-Indians; however, transit permits can be obtained from the Home Ministry.
Like the rest of the archipelago, it was struck by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, leading to many deaths on the island. South Andaman is the third largest island in the island group. It is located immediately south of Middle Andaman Island, from which it is separated only by a narrow channel, a few hundred meters wide. The island is 93 km long and 31 km in width. Its area is 1348 km². It had a population of 181,949 as of the 2001 census. South Andaman is less mountainous than the more northerly of the Andaman Islands. Koiob reaches a height of 456.6 meters.