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?Lakshadweep India
Coordinates: 10°34′N 72°37′E / 10.57, 72.62
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	32 km² (12 sq mi)
Capital	Kavaratti
Largest city	Kavaratti
District(s)	1
Population • Density	60,595 (7th) • 1,894/km² (4,905/sq mi)
Language(s)	Malayalam
Administrator	B.V. Selvaraj
Established	1956-11-01
ISO abbreviation	IN-LD
Website: lakshadweep.nic.in

Coordinates: 10°34′N 72°37′E / 10.57, 72.62

Lakshadweep (pronunciation (help·info); (Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്) , [Lakṣadvīp]) is the smallest union territory of India. The group is located 200 to 300 km off of the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea. The total land area of the territory is 32 km². Eleven of the islands are inhabited. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Lakshadweepa.

Contents 1 Demographics 2 History 3 Politics 4 Economy 5 Islands 6 Transportation 7 External links

The people of all the northern islands speak a dialect of Malayalam. According to local folk beliefs, they descended from traders who were washed up on the islands during a particularly heavy storm. However, the people of Minicoy, the southernmost atoll, speak Mahl, a variant of Divehi, the language of the Maldives.

The islanders are ethnically similar to coastal Kerala's Malayali people, and were influenced by Arab traders. Inhabitants of Minicoy, the southernmost and largest island, closely resemble Maldivians. Most — 99% — of the indigenous population is Muslim; they were converted by Arab traders. The locals call themselves the Div-i or the Aminidivi ("from the mother island").

The first westerner in the recent historical past on the islands was Vasco da Gama, but the British were the first to explore the islands. They are also mentioned in great detail in the stories of the Arab traveller Ibn Batuta. The Portuguese established a fort on the islands in May 1498, but the inhabitants soon rose up and expelled them. The Amindivi group of islands (Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra) came under the rule of Tipu Sultan in 1787. They passed on to British control after the Third Anglo-Mysore War and were attached to the South Canara district. The rest of the islands became a suzerainty of the Arakkal family of Cannanore in return for a payment of annual tribute. After a while, the British took over the administration of those islands for non-payment of arrears. These islands were attached to the Malabar district of the Madras Presidency. In 1956, the States Reorganisation Act separated these islands from the mainland administrative units, forming a new union territory by combining all the islands.

The union territory is administered by an Administrator appointed by India's central government. Lakshadweep is under the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. It also elects one member to the Lok Sabha. The main languages spoken in Lakshadheep are Jasari (similar to Malayalam) and Mahl.

Lakshadweep's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $60 million at current prices. Due to its isolation and scenic appeal, Lakshadweep is emerging as a major tourist attraction for Indians. This brings in significant revenue, which is likely to increase. Since such a small region cannot support industries, the government is actively promoting tourism as a means of income.

Lakshadweep officially consists of 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks, with a total of about 36 islands and islets. The reefs are in fact also atolls, although mostly submerged, with only small unvegetated sand cays above the high water mark. The submerged banks are sunken atolls.

Almost all the atolls have a northeast-southwest orientation with the islands lying on the eastern rim, and a mostly submerged reef on the western rim, enclosing a lagoon.

The atolls, reefs and banks are listed from north to south in the table:

Atoll/Reef/Bank (alternate name)	type	Land Area (km²)	Lagoon Area (km²)	No. of islets	Pop. Census 2001	Location
Amindivi Islands
Cora Divh	bank	-	339.45	-	-	13°42′N, 72°11′E
Sesostris Bank	bank	-	388.53	-	-	13°08′N, 72°00′E
Bassas de Pedro (Munyal Par, Padua Bank)	bank	-	2474.33	-	-	13°07′N, 72°25′E
Cherbaniani Reef (Beleapani Reef)	reef	0.01	172.59	2	-	12°18′N, 71°53′E
Byramgore Reef (Chereapani)	reef	0.01	57.46	1	-	11°54′N, 71°49′E
Chetlat Island	atoll	1.14	1.60	1	2289	11°42′N, 72°42′E
Bitrā Island	atoll	0.10	45.61	2	264	11°33′N, 72°09′E
Kiltān Island	atoll	2.20	1.76	1	3664	11°29′N, 73°00′E
Kadmat Island (Cardamum)	atoll	3.20	37.50	1	5319	11°14′N, 72°47′E
Elikalpeni Bank	bank	-	95.91	-	-	11°12′N, 73°58′E
Peremul Par	reef	0.01	83.02	1	-	11°10′N, 72°04′E
Amini Island 1)	atoll	2.59	155.09 1)	1	7340	11°06′N, 72°45′E
Laccadive Islands
Bingaram Island (Bangaram) 2)	atoll	2.30	46.25	4	- 3)	10°56′N, 72°17′E
Agatti Island 2)	atoll	3.84	17.50	4	7072	10°50′N, 72°12′E
Pitti Island 1)	island 1)	0.01	155.09 1)	1	-	10°50′N, 72°38′E
Androth Island (Andrott)	atoll	4.90	4.84	1	10720	10°50′N, 73°41′E
Kavaratti Island	atoll	4.22	4.96	1	10113	10°33′N, 72°38′E
Kalpeni Island	atoll	2.79	25.60	7	4319	10°05′N, 73°38′E
Suheli Par	atoll	0.57	78.76	2	-	10°05′N, 72°17′E
Minicoy
Investigator Bank	bank	-	141.78	-	-	08°32′N, 73°17′E
Minicoy Island	atoll	4.80	30.60	2	9495	08°17′N, 73°02′E
Lakshadweep		32.69	4203.14	32	60595	08°16'-13°58'N, 71°44°-74°24'E
1) Amini Island and Pitti Island are both on Pitti Bank, a largely sunken atoll with a lagoon area of 155.09 km²
2) Bingaram and Agatti Islands are connected by a shallow submarine ridge
3) new international tourist resort, otherwise uninhabited, but with a population 61 at the 1990 census

The main islands are Kavaratti (where the capital city, Kavaratti, is located), Agatti, Minicoy, and Amini. The total population of the territory was 60,595 according to the 2001 census. Agatti has an airport where there are direct flights from Kochi, Kerala or Ernakulam (Cochin). Tourists need a permit to visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands. Consumption of liquor or alcoholic drink is not permitted in the islands except at Bangaram Island.

The name of the archipelago literally translates as "hundred thousand islands" (laksha = "one hundred thousand", dweep = "island"). Until 1973, the island group was known by the anglicised name Laccadives (compare to Maldives and Suvadives) although the term Laccadives strictly only applies to central Lakshdweep with the northern Amindivi Islands and Minicoy to the south considered separate. This is reflected in the pre-1973 name of the union territory, Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands (Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്, മിനിക്കോയ്, അമന്തീവ [Lakṣhadvīp, Minikkoy, Amantīv]). The Laccadive Islands plus Minicoy Island are known as the Cannanore Islands.

Agatti Aerodrome on Agatti Island is currently the only airport in Lakshadweep. Indian Airlines, the state owned carrier, serves Agatti and flies to Kochi on the mainland. Also, from April 2007, a private carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, has commenced flights to and from Agatti. Kingfisher connects Kochi and Bangalore to Agatti. The other islands are linked by a helicopter or boat service.

• Indian Reef Region – Lakshadweep Islands
• Official Site for Lakshadweep Islands
• Lakshadweep Islands Tourism information
• Beautiful Photographs of the Lakshadweep Islands
• Lakshadweep Islands Tourism information
• SPORTS->Lakshadweep Tourism Official Agency
• geographical information, lagoon sizes
• submerged northern reef banks

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