Lakshadweep
Key Takeaway
Lakshadweep is a group of36 islandssituated in theArabian sea.
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep is a group of36 islandssituated in theArabian sea. It is thesmallest union territory of Indiawith 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 ofReunion 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. Thecurrent Administratorof Lakshadweep isPraful Khoda Patel.
To visit Lakshadweep Island, everyone must have a permit. It is a famous hub of tourism, but foreign visitors are only permitted on the 6 islands ie, Agatti, Bangaram, Kadamath, Kavaratti, Kalpeni andMinicoy.
Basic Facts(15)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| First Administrator | U.R. Panicker |
| CurrentAdministrator | Praful Patel |
| Only Airport in Lakshadweep | Agatti |
| Gateway for the Lakshadweep | Agatti Island |
| The country that lies near Lakshadweep | Maldives |
History
The earliest mentions of the Lakshadweep Islands are found in thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea. According toSangam textsand local folklore, the first settlement on these islands occurred during the reign ofCheraman Perumal, the last king of the Chera dynasty.
Lakshadweep was controlled by the HinduChiraykkal Dynastyin 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 theKannur Arakkal royal family, the only Muslim dynasty of Kerala.
Due to the oppressive rule of the Arakkal family, some inhabitants of Amini island travelled toMangalore 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 theBattle 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 theLakshadweep 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(17)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| The Lakshadweep islands are mainly divided into 3. They areLaccadive Islands | Kavaratti,Androth, Kalpeni, Pitti & Suheli Par |
| Amindivi Islands | Amini, Bitra, Chetlat,Keltan, Kadmat & Perumul Par |
| 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 |
| Naval base of SouthernNaval Command of the Indian Navy situated on the Kavaratti island | INS Dweeprakshak(commissioned: April 30, 2012) |
| 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 |
| Lakshadweep is featured in the syllabus and falls under the topic 'ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ഭൂമിശാസ്ത്രപരമായ സവിശേഷതകൾ, അതിർത്തികളും അതിരുകളും' for upcoming Kerala PSC 10th preliminary exam and all the major PSC exams.📝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 |