Lakshadweep is a group of 36 islands situated in the Arabian sea. It is the smallest union territory of India with a total surface area of 32 km².
The Lakshadweep Islands are located at a distance of 280 km to 480 km off the Kerala coast. These islands are a part of Reunion Hotspot volcanism.
The word "Lakshadweep" means Hundred Thousand Islands in Malayalam and in Sanksrit.
Since it is a union territory, it is administered by the President through an Administrator/ Lt. Governor. The current Administrator of Lakshadweep is Praful Khoda Patel.
Basic Facts
- Capital – Kavaratti.
- Epithets – Coral Island of India, Tropical Paradise, Cannanore Islands.
- Districts – 1.
- High Court – Kerala.
- Lok Sabha Seat – 1.
- Rajya Sabha Seat – 0.
- Official Bird – Sooty Tern.
- Official Fruit – Bread Fruit.
- Official Animal – Butterfly Fish.
- Official Language – Malayalam.
- Smallest Union Territory of India.
- First Administrator – U.R. Panicker.
- Only Airport in Lakshadweep – Agatti.
- Union Territory located in the Arabian Sea.
- Became Union Territory in 1956 November 1.
- Gateway for the Lakshadweep – Agatti Island.
- The country that lies near Lakshadweep – Maldives.
- Union Territory with the Highest Literacy Rate in India.
- The Smallest Lok Sabha Constituency in terms of population.
- Least Populated Union Territory of India. (64473; 2011 census)
- Union Territory with Largest % of Scheduled Tribes in India (94.5%).
History
The earliest mentions of the Lakshadweep Islands are found in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. According to Sangam texts and local folklore, the first settlement on these islands occurred during the reign of Cheraman Perumal, the last king of the Chera dynasty.
Lakshadweep was controlled by the Hindu Chiraykkal Dynasty in the early 16th century. During this time, the Portuguese attempted to take the Amini islands forcefully but were repelled by the islanders, thereby ending the Portuguese invasion of the Lakshadweep islands.
The rule eventually slipped into the hands of the Kannur Arakkal royal family, the only Muslim dynasty of Kerala.
Due to the oppressive rule of the Arakkal family, some inhabitants of Amini island travelled to Mangalore in 1783 to see Tipu Sultan. They requested him to take over Aminidivi's administration. Tipu Sultan was given the governance of Amini following discussions since he had close amicable relations (which soured in later years) with Arakkal Beevi while the rest were controlled by the Arakkal family.
Following Tipu Sultan's defeat by the British at the Battle of Seringapatam (the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War) in 1799, the British East India Company forcefully seized the control of Amindivi and the rest of the islands from the Arakkal family.
The British enacted the Lakshadweep Regulation 1912, which curtailed the legal and commanding power of the islands' Amins or Karanis and also barred outsiders from entering the Islands.
From the colonial period, Lakshadweep islands remained as a part of the Malabar district until the 1956 state reorganisation.
It became a union territory on November 1, 1956, and was later renamed as 'Lakshadweep' in 1973 November 1 (earlier name: Laccadive Island) and Kozhikode remained its capital until 1964.
Geographical Features
The Lakshadweep islands are mainly divided into 3. They are
- Laccadive Islands – Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni, Pitti & Suheli Par.
- Amindivi Islands – Amini, Bitra, Chetlat, Keltan, Kadmat & Perumul Par.
- Minicoy Island.
- Total Area – 32.69 km².
- No. of islands – 36.
- No. of inhabitable islands – 10.
- Largest Island – Androth (4.8 km²).
- Smallest Island – Bitra. (0.1 km², Population: 225)
- Southernmost Island – Minicoy.
- Northernmost Island – Amindivi (Cherbaniani Reef/ Beleapani /Malayalam: Valiyapanniyam).
- Most Populous Island – Kavaratti.
- Length of Coastal Line – 132 km.
- Island Without Crows – Kavaratti.
- The union territory which does not contain any river.
- The union territory has the largest forest area in terms of percentage (27.10 sq km in 2019).
- Naval base of Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy situated on the Kavaratti island – INS Dweeprakshak (commissioned: April 30, 2012).
Nine Degree Channel, Eight Degree Channel, Ten Degree Channel & Eleventh Degree Channel
- Eight Degree Channel – separates the islands of Minicoy & Maldives.
- Nine Degree Channel – separates the island of Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep islands.
- Ten Degree Channel – separates the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands from each other.
- Eleven Degree Channel – separates the Amindivi & Cannanore Islands.
Religion, Language, & Culture
Major Industries & Occupations
📝 SideNotes:
- World's first Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination Plant (LTTD) is situated in – Kavaratti (2005).
- First & only news media portal published from the union territory of Lakshadweep – Dweep Diary.
- Name the former Lakshadweep administrator before Praful Khoda Patel – Dineshwar Sharma.
- Where was the headquarters of Lakshadweep before Kavaratti? Kozhikode. (Previous Year PSC Question:Welfare Officer Gr.II-Jail, 2019)
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