Car Nicobar (known as Pu in the local language) is the northernmost of the Nicobar Islands, which in turn are the southern part of the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It lies at and has an area of 127 km². Although this is less than 7% of the area of the Nicobar group, in the census of 2001 its population of 29,145 was more than half of the total Nicobar population. There were 16 villages, the largest being Malacca (pop. 4,314).

Car Nicobar lies 750 km (465 miles) from the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and the ensuing tsunamis struck it with great force. Witnesses report the waves as 30ft (9m) high. As of 30 December the number of casualties remains unknown, but seems likely to be devastatingly high. One survivor told the Associated Press: "There's not a single hut which is standing. Everything is gone. Most of the people have gone up to the hills and are afraid to come down."