Lakshadweep facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lakshadweep
Union territory
Clockwise from top: Kadmat Island; Minicoy Island; Agatti Island with airport; Reefs in Laccadive Sea;and Kalpeni Island
Emblem of Lakshadweep
Location of Lakshadweep in India
Country	India
Region	South India
Formation	1 November 1956
Capital	Kavaratti
Largest city	Andrott
Government
• Body	Government of Lakshadweep
National Parliament	Parliament of India
• Lok Sabha	1 seat
High Court	Kerala High Court
Area
• Total	32.62 km2 (12.59 sq mi)
Area rank	36th
Population  (2011)
• Total	64,473
• Density	1,976/km2 (5,120/sq mi)
Language
• Official	English
• Additional official	Malayalam
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code	IN-LD
Vehicle registration	LD
HDI (2019)	0.751 (4th)
Literacy (2011)	91.85%
Sex ratio (2011)	947♀/1000 ♂ (1st)
Symbols of Lakshadweep Mammal Butterfly fish Bird Sooty tern Flower Neelakurinji Tree Bread fruit List of Indian state and union territory symbols

Lakshadweep (Malayalam: [lɐkʂɐd̪βʷiːbɨ̆]) is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands divided into three island subgroups: the Amindivi Islands in the north separated from the Laccadive Islands roughly by the 11th parallel north and the atoll of Minicoy to the south of the Nine Degree Channel along the 9th parallel north. The islands are located between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Laccadive Sea to the east, about 220–440 km (140–270 mi) off the Malabar Coast of mainland India.

The islands occupy a total land area of approximately 32.62 km² (12.59 sq mi) with a population of 64,473 as per the 2011 census across the ten inhabited islands. There is a 132 km (82 mi) long coastline with a lagoon area of 4,200 km² (1,600 sq mi), territorial waters of 20,000 km² (7,700 sq mi) and an exclusive economic zone of 400,000 km² (150,000 sq mi). The islands are the northernmost of the Lakshadweep–Maldives–Chagos group of islands, which are the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, the Chagos-Lakshadweep Ridge. The entire union territory is administered as a single district with Kavaratti as its capital.

Archaeological evidence from Kalpeni indicate the existence of human settlement in the region from at least 1500 BCE with reference to the islands in the Buddhist Jataka tales from the 3rd century BCE. Tamil Sangam literature Patiṟṟuppattu mentions references to the islands controlled by the Cheras, one of the three kingdoms of ancient Tamilakam. The region was captured by the Pallavas in the 7th century CE with Islam presumed to have been brought to the region in the later half of the century by the arrival of Muslims. In the 11th century CE, the region was part of the Chola kingdom and formed a part of the trade route that connected the Middle East with South Asia. It was briefly under the control of the Kingdom of Kannur before it came under the influence of the Portuguese in the late 15th century CE. After the expulsion of the Portuguese in 1545 CE, the region was ruled by the Arakkal kingdom, who were vassals of the Kolathiri Rajas of Kannur. The region came under the influence of Mysore kingdom in the late 18th century and was later annexed to the British empire following the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 CE. The islands became part of the Dominion of India following the Indian Independence in 1947 and was incorporated as a union territory in 1956.

The name Lakshadweep means "one lakh islands" (Lakṣadvīpa; one hundred thousand islands) in Malayalam and Sanskrit, though the islands are part of an archipelago of fewer islands. English is the designated official language while Jeseri, a dialect of Malayalam, is the widely spoken native language. Dhivehi is the most spoken language in the Minicoy Island. The region comes under the judicial jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court. Fishing and agriculture are the major occupations in the islands.

Etymology

The name Lakshadweep is derived from Lakṣadvīpa meaning "one hundred thousand islands" presumably from Sanskrit or Malayalam. Laccadive seems to be the result of the Anglicization of the given name during the British Raj. Amindivi derives its name from the Amindivi people, who were earliest inhabitants of the Amini Island. The native name of the Minicoy Island is Maliku and the given name is the Anglicized version derived from the Nicobarese word Minikaa-raajje as the island was known then in the Andaman and Nicobar.

History

Early history

As early human migration happened from Africa to Andaman through India, scientists presumed that the islands would have been part of the same due to its location between Africa and southwestern part of India. However, later genetic studies pointed to the contrary with majority of human ancestry in the islands derived from South Asia. Archaeological evidence from Kalpeni indicate the existence of human settlement in the region from at least 1500 BCE. The islands are mentioned in the Buddhist Jataka tales, dated to 3rd century CE. Archeological evidence indicates the spread of Buddhism to the islands during the time with Sanghmitra, the daughter of Ashoka, presumed to have visited the island. Tamil Sangam literature Patiṟṟuppattu references to the rule over the region by the Cheras, one of the three kingdoms of ancient Tamilakam, in the Sangam period (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE).

The islands have been known to sailors since at least 1st century CE, as indicated in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. It contains an anonymous reference to the islands off the coast of Damirica as a source of a turtle shell. In 2nd century CE, Greek historian Ptolemy mentions 1378 islands located opposite to Taprobane (Sri Lanka) with the names of some of the islands given as Kanathara (Kavaratti), Argidion (Agatti), Ammine (Amini), and Monache (Minicoy). The islands later became part of a trade route with the Roman empire, with archeological evidence from as early as 2nd century CE obtained from Kadamath and Androth islands. Other travelers and historians such as Ammianus Marcellinus (4th century CE), Faxian (5th century CE) and Cosmas (6th century CE) mention the islands in their writings.

Middle ages

Local traditions attribute the first settlement on the islands to Cheraman Perumal, the last Chera king of Kerala, though no historical evidence exists apart from the presence of ancient Hindu social stratification. According to local tradition, Islam was brought to the islands by Ubaidullah in 661 CE, whose purported grave is located in the Andrott island. Inscriptions from Vayalur (in Tamil Nadu) indicates a naval battle fought during the reign of Narasimhavarman II (680-720 CE), which resulted in the capture of the territory by the Pallavas of Kanchi in the late 7th century CE. Epigraphs indicate the capture of the region of Kavadi Dvepa (presumably Kavaratti) by the Kadambas in the 10th century CE. In the 11th century CE, the islands came under the rule of the Cholas. Chola inscriptions from Thanjavur, indicate that the region was captured by Rajendra Chola I in 1018-19 CE. In the late 11th century CE, it became part of a small Hindu kingdom before being passed on to the Kingdom of Kannur in early 12th century CE. The islands are mentioned in the writings of travelers Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta in the 13th-14th century CE.

European colonization

Map of the islands (1877)

In the late 15th century CE, the islands came under the control of the Portuguese, who utilized the same for coir production. The native islanders revolted against the Portuguese and expelled them in 1545 CE. In the mid 16th century CE, all the inhabited islands were conferred as jagir (land grant) to the ruling family of Kannur by the Chirakkal family of Kolattiri in order to grant protection from the Portuguese. The Aminidivi islands came under the rule of Tipu Sultan of Mysore Kingdom in 1787 CE and were later annexed to the British Raj in 1799 CE after the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The rest of the islands remained under the suzerainty of the Arakkal family in return for a payment of annual tribute to the British. The British took over the administration of those islands in 1908 CE citing nonpayment of tax arrears and attached it to the Madras Presidency.

Post Independence

After the India Independence in 1947, the islands became part of the Dominion of India and later became part of the Madras State of the Republic of India after the Constitution of India was enacted in 1950. Following the States Reorganisation in 1956, the islands which were divided between the South Canara and Malabar districts of the Madras state, were organized into a separate union territory administered by the Government of India. The islands which were known as Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands was renamed as the Lakshadweep islands on 1 November 1973. The headquarters of the union territory remained at Kozhikode until 1964, when the seat of administrator of the islands was shifted to Kavaratti. The territory has developed into a key Indian naval establishment due to its strategic location amidst the vital shipping lanes from India to the Middle East.

Geography

Satellite image showing the atolls of the Lakshadweep except Minicoy

Image of Maliku Atoll with Minicoy island

Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 36 islands and islets that includes 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks. The islands occupy a total land area of approximately 32.62 km² (12.59 sq mi) and only ten of the islands are inhabited. The islands are located between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Laccadive Sea to the east, about 220–440 km (140–270 mi) off the Malabar Coast of mainland India. The territory is divided into three island subgroups: the Amindivi islands in the north separated from the Laccadive islands by the 11th parallel north and the atoll of Minicoy to the south of the Nine Degree Channel along the 9th parallel north. The islands have a 132 km (82 mi) long coastline with a lagoon area of 4,200 km² (1,600 sq mi), territorial waters of 20,000 km² (7,700 sq mi) and an exclusive economic zone of 400,000 km² (150,000 sq mi).

The islands are the northernmost of the Lakshadweep–Maldives–Chagos group of islands, which are the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, the Chagos-Lakshadweep Ridge. While there are no conclusive theories about the formation of the atolls, Charles Darwin proposed in 1842 CE that the subsidence of a volcanic island resulted in the formation of a fringing reef, which grew upwards with continual subsidence. The individual islands are smaller in size with none of them measuring more than 1 mi (1.6 km) across with most inhabited islands situated on the eastern side of the islands away from the low-lying lagoons on the western side. The soils are generally sandy, derived from coral. According to a 2017 report, the Parali I island of Bangaram atoll has eroded and inundated completely with the other four islands in the atoll also showing various degrees of erosion: Parali II (80%), Thinnakara (14.4%), Parali III (11.4%) and Bangaram (9.9%).

Climate

The islands have a tropical monsoon climate, bordering on a tropical savanna climate. The weather is warm throughout the year with temperatures ranging from 20 to 32 degree Celsius. While tropical cyclones arising in the Arabian Sea rarely strike the islands due to its smaller size, winds and waves associated with them could alter the features of the islands considerably.

Bangaram Atoll, an uninhabited island showing vegetation consisting mostly of coconut trees

A Green turtle in Laccadive Sea

Domestic ducks in Kavaratti

Flora and fauna

The Lakshadweep archipelago is part of the Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests ecoregion. There are no forests in the islands. Nearly 400 species of flowering plants have been documented, including three species of sea grasses Cymodocea isoetifolia, Syringodium isoetifolium and Thalassia hemprichii, other angiosperms such as Pandanus, Heliotropium foertherianum, Tournefortia argentea and Pemphis acidula, fungi, algae and lichens. The common flora of the atolls include coconut groves and coastal shrubs such as Pemphis acidula, Cordia subcordata, Scaevola taccada, Thespesia populnea, Suriana maritima, Dodonaea viscosa, Guettarda speciosa and seaweeds such as sea lettuces, Codium and Hypena.

There are over 600 recorded species of marine fishes, 78 species of corals, 82 species of seaweed, 52 species of crabs, 2 species of lobsters, 48 species of gastropods and 12 species of bivalves. It is one of the four coral reef regions in India.

Cetacean diversity off the Lakshadweep Islands and in adjacent areas include various whales (e.g. pygmy blue, Bryde's, sperm, orca, pilot whale) and dolphins. The commonly seen are introduced cattle and poultry. Other notable marine fauna include sharks, bonitos, tunas, snappers, flying fish, Manta rays, octopuses, crabs, and turtles. There are 101 species of birds, common amongst them include the brown noddy and sooty tern and water birds such as herons, teals, and gulls. Pitti island is a declared bird sanctuary and an important breeding place for sea turtles and a number of pelagic birds including the brown noddy, lesser crested tern and greater crested tern.

Symbols of Lakshadweep

Animal	Butterfly fish (Chaetodon falcula)		Bird	Sooty tern (Sterna fuscata)
Tree	Bread fruit (Artocarpus incisa)		Flower	Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana)

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Lakshadweep has a population of 64,473 including 33,123 (51.3%) males and 31,350 (48.7%) females. The territory had a sex ratio of 946 females per 1,000 males in 2011. It also recorded the highest sex ratio at birth amongst Indian territories as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 2021. As per the 2011 census, there were a total of 11,574 households and about 50,332 (78%) of the population lived in urban areas. As per the NSO survey in 2017, the literacy rate was 92.28%, the second highest amongst all Indian territories. As per the NFHS, the fertility rate was 1.4, significantly below the national average of 2.0.

Religion and ethnicity

Islam (96.6%) is the major religion of people of the islands with Sunni Islam being the predominant denomination, followed by Hinduism (2.8%) and Christianity (0.5%). Most of the settlers of the islands are descendants of migrants from the Malabar coast of Southwest India and are ethnically similar to the Mappilas of Kerala. According to local tradition, Islam was brought to the islands by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. Although Islam is the predominant religion currently, the earliest settlers were probably Hindus with the religious orientation, social stratification and matrilineal kinship system evidences of the same. The southernmost island of Minicoy are populated by the Mahls, an ethnic group also resident in the Maldives.

Languages

English is the official language with Malayalam classified as an additional official language. Jeseri (also known as Dweep Basha), a dialect of Malayalam, is the widely spoken language in the Amindivi and Laccadive islands with Mahl, a dialect of Dhivehi spoken in Minicoy. There are minor variations of the same dialect across islands.

Malayalam written in the Malayalam script was introduced as the primary language of Lakshadweep during the British Raj, while previously a type of Arabic script, which is also known as Ponnani script or Arabi Malayalam script, was used for writing the language. The policy is continued with Malayalam serving as a link language on the islands including Minicoy.

Economy

Coconut trees in the islands are commercially important

The economy is dependent on agriculture and fishery with tourism, a developing industry. As of 2013^[update], there were 72 registered micro and small industries majorly involved in the public sector, manufacture of food products, and furniture. Major exports are coconut products including coconut fibre (coir) and fishes. With a minimal arable land of 2.58 hectares, the major agriculture produce is coconuts. There are five coir factories, five production demonstration centers and seven curling units run by the government and with the major products being coir fiber, yarn and mats.

Blue Tangs in the Laccadive Sea

Bangaram Atoll is promoted as a tourist destination

With a vast lagoon area and an exclusive economic zone of 400,000 km² (150,000 sq mi), fishery is a major industry. The estimated annual production is 21,016 tonnes of which 60% is tuna and related fishes. About 60% of the total production is converted to dried products and 40% is allocated for local consumption. Commercial fishing is concentrated around 11 islands with skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna being the only commercial varieties fished. Fishing is done using mechanized fishing boats, traditional country crafts and country crafts fitted with motors. The government runs a tuna canning factory in the islands.

Tourism in Lakshadweep began in 1974, when the Bangaram atoll was opened for international tourism. According to the government statistics, 10,435 domestic tourists and 1,313 foreign tourists visited the islands in 2018. The government is promoting tourism as a means to increase the income of local population with the Bangaram and Kadmat islands promoted as potential tourist destinations. With marine fauna and coral reefs, various water sports activities such as scuba diving, wind surfing, snorkelling, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, sportfishing, yachting and night sea voyages have been established to promote tourism. Tourists need a permission to visit the islands and foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands. In 2024, the government proposed further programmes to improve infrastructure and promote tourism. The potential negative effects of tourism on the environment and ecosystem of the islands is a subject of debate.

Infrastructure

There is limited mobile communication in the islands. Pictured is the office of state-owned BSNL in Kalpeni

There is no single power grid connecting the islands and independent power houses cater to the power requirements of the islands. Minicoy was the first island to be electrified in 1962 followed by Kavaratti in 1964 and others later, with Bitra being the last island to be electrified in 1982. Two diesel generators were established in 1962, which generated about 51.6 Kilo Watts of power. As of 2012^[update], the islands have 41 diesel generators and 12 solar photovoltaic systems with a total installed capacity of 18.5 Mega Watts. In January 2024, a solar power plant was commissioned to augment the power generation capacity.

The world's first ever experimental low-temperature thermal desalination plant opened in Kavaratti in 2005 with a projected capacity to produce 100,000 litres of potable water per day from seawater. The plant utilized the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and much colder seawater at about 500 m (1,600 ft) depth to generate potable water as well as energy. The technology was developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology and the government announced plans to build three more such plants.

Mobile communication service is provided by state-owned BSNL across all inhabited islands and Airtel in Kavratti and Agatti islands. In 2020, the government announced a project to install under-sea fiber optic cable for high-speed mobile and internet connectivity between Kochi and 11 islands of Lakshadweep, which was inaugurated in January 2024. Post offices run by India Post provide mail service and there are four hospitals with 200 beds, four primary health centers, and 14 sub-health centers operated by the government.

Transportation

Passenger ship MV Amindivi

The islands are served by the Agatti Airport on the Agatti island, the only airport in the territory. The 1.2 km (0.75 mi) long runway is capable of handling only smaller turboprop aircraft. The government announced a plan in early 2024 to extend the runway to enable it to handle larger narrow body aircraft and expand the infrastructure to convert the airport into dual-use for civilian and military purposes. A new greenfield airport was also proposed to be constructed at Minicoy Island. Two helicopters are operated by Pawan Hans which are utilised for passenger transport and emergency medical evacuation from the islands. As of 2019^[update], there are 228 km (142 mi) of paved roads and no railway in the territory. As of 2024^[update], additional roads have been planned including a peripheral road at Kavaratti and beach front roads at Kadamath and Agatti islands. As of 2023^[update], seven ships operate passenger services between Kochi and the islands with seasonal boat/ferry service between islands. In 2024, the government unveiled a plan to develop three ports at Androth, Kalpeni and Kadamath islands as a part of the Sagar Mala project. There are fifteen lighthouses in the islands. The Minicoy Island Lighthouse was the first modern light house, established in 1885.

Indian Navy operates INS Dweeprakshak, a naval based under the Southern Naval Command, commissioned in 2012. There are ten minor ports, one each on all inhabited islands.

Education

The first public school was opened in Amini in 1904 an elementary schools were opened in Kiltan in 1911 and Kadmat in 1925. The first high schools were established in the 1960s in Amini and Kalpeni. As of 2023^[update], there are 50 schools catering to 8,350 students. There are four government colleges affiliated to Pondicherry University and two colleges and three university centers affiliated to Calicut University in the territory.

See also

In Spanish: Laquedivas para niños