Shompen

The Shompen are the indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar island, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Current population is estimated at approximately 400. They practice a hunter-gatherer subsistence economy. The Shompen are of Mongoloid descent. Being isolated from civilization for so long, their attire consisted of minimal clothing. While traditional attire includes clothing below the waist only, many people are wearing modern clothes, due to influence from Mainland India. Six members were reported to have died in the Great Sumatran Earthquake and tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004.

The Shompen languages, of which there are at least two, are very little known, but appear to be unrelated to Nicobarese and perhaps even to each other. [Robert Blench, [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language%20data/Isolates/Shompen%20paper.pdf ms.] "The language of the Shom Pen: a language isolate in the Nicobar islands." ]

ee also

* Nicobar Islands
* Great Nicobar
* 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

ource

* [http://www.tsunami2004-india.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=102 http://www.tsunami2004-india.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=102]
*http://stewartsynopsis.com/Synopsis%206.htm
* [http://photogallery.hosuronline.com/Shompen/ Shompen Photo gallery]