Andaman and Nicobar Islands is an archipelago of over 570 tropical islands, of which only 36 are inhabited. Radhanagar beach at Have-lock Island was bestowed with the title of ‘Asia’s Best Beach’ in 2004 by the TIME magazine. It is also listed as world’s 7th most spectacular beach in the world on TIME magazine list. Barren Island which is about 135 km (84 mi) north-east of the territory’s capital of Andaman, Port Blair, is the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia. The Andaman Islands have been inhabited for several thousand years, at the very least. The earliest archaeological evidence yet documented goes back some 2,200 years; however, the indications from genetic, cultural and isolation studies suggest that the islands may have been inhabited as early as the Middle Paleolithic. The Andamans are theorised to be a key stepping stone in a great coastal migration of humans from Africa via the Arabian Peninsula, along the coastal regions of the Indian mainland and towards Southeast Asia, Japan and Oceania. The name of the Andaman Islands is ancient. Italian traveler, Niccolò de’ Conti (c. 1440), mentioned the islands and said that the name means “Island of Gold”.