The islands occupy a total land area of approximately 32.62 km2 (12.59 sq mi) with a population of 64,473 as per the2011 census across the ten inhabited islands. There is a 132 km (82 mi) longcoastline with alagoon area of 4,200 km2 (1,600 sq mi),territorial waters of 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi) and anexclusive economic zone of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi). Lakshadweep is the northernmost island group of the exposed undersea mountain range, theChagos-Lakshadweep Ridge. The entire union territory is administered as asingledistrict withKavaratti as its capital.
Archaeological evidence fromKalpeni indicates human settlement in the region from at least 1500 BCE with early reference to the islands in theBuddhistJataka tales from the 3rd century BCE and theTamilSangam literaturePatiṟṟuppattu. The region was controlled by theCheras in theSangam period (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE) and later by thePallavas.Islam is presumed to have been brought in the 7th century by the arrival ofMuslims. In the 11th century CE, the region was under influence of theChola kingdom and formed a part of the trade route that connected theMiddle East withSouth Asia. It came under the influence of thePortuguese briefly in the late 15th century CE before being ruled by theArakkal kingdom, who were vassals of theKolathiri Rajas ofKannur. The region was under the influence of theMysore kingdom in the late 18th century and was later annexed to theBritish Empire in 1799 CE. The islands became part of theDominion of India following theIndian Independence in 1947 and was incorporated as a union territory in 1956.
The name Lakshadweep is derived fromLakṣadvīpa meaning "one hundred thousand islands," presumably fromSanskrit orMalayalam.[7]Laccadive seems to be the result of the anglicization of the given name during theBritish Raj.[8]Amindivi derives its name from the Amindivi people, who were the earliest inhabitants of theAmini Island.[9] The native name of theMinicoy Island isMaliku, and the given name is the anglicized version derived from theNicobarese wordMinikaa-raajje (meaning "land of the cannibals") as the island was known then in theAndaman and Nicobar.[10]
Theearly human migration fromAfrica to theAndaman Islands through India was thought by scientists to include Lakshadweep because of its location between Africa and the southwestern region of India. However, latergenetic studies indicated that the majority of human ancestry in the islands derived fromSouth Asia.[11] Archaeological evidence fromKalpeni indicate the existence of human settlements in the region from at least 1500 BCE.[12] The islands are mentioned in theBuddhistJataka tales, dated to 3rd century CE.[12][13] Archeological evidence indicates the spread of Buddhism to the islands during the time ofSanghmitra, the daughter of emperorAshoka, presumed to have visited the island.[14]TamilSangam literaturePatiṟṟuppattu mentions that the region was ruled by theCheras, one of thethree kingdoms of ancientTamilakam, in theSangam period (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE).[15]
The islands have been known to sailors since at least 1st century CE, as indicated in thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea. It contains an anonymous reference to the islands off thecoast of Damirica as a source of aturtle shell.[16][17] In 2nd century CE, Greek historianPtolemy mentions 1378 islands located opposite toTaprobane (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 theRoman empire, with archeological evidence from as early as 2nd century CE obtained fromKadamath andAndroth islands. Other travelers and historians such asAmmianus Marcellinus (4th century CE),Faxian (5th century CE), andCosmas (6th century CE) mention the islands in their writings.[17]
Local traditions attribute the first settlement on the islands toCheraman Perumal, the last Chera king of Kerala, though no historical evidence exists apart from the presence of ancientHindu social stratification. According to local tradition,Islam was brought to the islands byUbaidullah in 661 CE, whose purported grave is located in the Andrott island.[18] Inscriptions fromVayalur (inTamil Nadu) indicates anaval battle fought during the reign ofNarasimhavarman II (680-720 CE), which resulted in the capture of the territory by thePallavas ofKanchi in the late 7th century CE. Epigraphs indicate the capture of the region ofKavadi Dvepa (presumably Kavaratti) by theKadambas in the 10th century CE.[17] In the 11th century CE, the islands came under the rule of theCholas.[19] Chola inscriptions fromThanjavur, indicate that the region was captured byRajendra Chola I in 1018-19 CE.[20][21] In the late 11th century CE, it became part of a small Hindu kingdom before being passed on to theKingdom of Kannur in early 12th century CE. The islands are mentioned in the writings of travelersMarco Polo andIbn Battuta in the 13th-14th century CE.[16][22]
In the late 15th century CE, the islands came under the control of thePortuguese as a source ofcoir for their industries. The native islanders revolted against the Portuguese and expelled them in 1545 CE.[16][23] In the mid 16th century CE, all inhabited islands were conferred asjagir (land grant) to the ruling family ofKannur by theChirakkal family ofKolathiri to grant protection from thePortuguese.[24][25] The Aminidivi islands came under the rule ofTipu Sultan ofMysore Kingdom in 1787 CE and were later annexed to theBritish Raj in 1799 CE after theFourth Anglo-Mysore War.[16] The rest of the islands remained under thesuzerainty of theArakkal family in return for a payment of annual tribute to the British.[26] The British took over the administration of these islands in 1908 CE, citing the nonpayment of taxes, and attached it to theMadras Presidency.[27]
Lakshadweep is anarchipelago of 36islands andislets that includes 12atolls, threereefs, and five submergedbanks.[7][33] The islands occupy a total land area of approximately 32.62 km2 (12.59 sq mi) and only ten of the islands are inhabited.[2][34] The islands are located between theArabian Sea to the west and theLaccadive Sea to the east, about 220–440 km (140–270 mi) off theMalabar Coast of mainland India.[16][7] The territory is divided into three island subgroups: the Amindivi islands in the north, the Laccadive islands in the East (separated from Amindivi by the11th parallel north), and the atoll of Minicoy to the south of theNine Degree Channel.[35] The islands have a 132 km (82 mi) longcoastline with alagoon area of 4,200 km2 (1,600 sq mi),territorial waters of 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi), and anexclusive economic zone of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi).[34]
Lakshadweep is the northernmost island group of the exposed undersea mountain range, theChagos-Lakshadweep Ridge.[36] 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.[9] The individual islands are small, with none of them measuring more than 1 mi (1.6 km) across. Most inhabited islands are situated on the eastern side of Lakshadweep and away from the low-lying lagoons to the West. The soil is generally sandy, derived from coral.[16] According to a 2017 report, the Parali I island of Bangaram atoll has eroded and is completely inundated. Four other islands in the atoll also show various degrees of erosion: Parali II (80%), Thinnakara (14.4%), Parali III (11.4%), and Bangaram (9.9%).[6]
The islands have atropical monsoon climate, bordering on atropical savanna climate. The weather is warm throughout the year with temperatures ranging from 20 to 32 degreeCelsius. Whiletropical 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.[16]
Climate data for Lakshadweep 1981–2010, extremes 1996–2012
Lakshadweep is a Union Territory and is governed by anadministrator on behalf of the Government of India.[50][51] It was established in 1956 and constitutes a singleIndian district.[30][52] The headquarters of the union territory were at Kozhikode until 1964, when the seat of theadministrator of the islands was shifted to Kavaratti. Since then, the administration secretariat is based in Kavaratti.[53][54]
The territory is divided into ten administrative sub-divisions headed by sub-divisional officers, except the Minicoy and Agatti islands which are headed by deputy collectors.[55][56] The ten inhabited islands havevillage panchayats consisting of a total of 88 members across islands. These panchayats are combined to form a district panchayat, which has 26 elected members including the chairpersons of the ten village panchayats and theMember of Parliament forLakshadweep Lok Sabha Constituency.[57] The territory is also divided into five community development blocks: Kavaratti, Amini, Andrott, Minicoy and Kiltan, each administered by Collector-cum-Development Commissioner, who is in charge of revenue and land settlement in their respective block. The commissioner also serves as aDistrict magistrate and is assisted by an additional district magistrate and ten executive magistrates for enforcement of law and order.[53] The administrator acts as theInspector General of Police and has command and control of the Lakshadweep Police, which has a sanctioned strength of 349 personnel across ninepolice stations.[55]
According to the2011 census, Lakshadweep has apopulation of 64,473, consisting of 33,123 (51.3%) males and 31,350 (48.7%) females, and had asex ratio of 946 females per 1,000 males in 2011.[3][66] It also recorded thehighest sex ratio at birth amongst Indian territories as per theNational Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 2021.[67] 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.[3] As per theNSO survey in 2017, theliteracy rate was 92.28%, thesecond highest amongst all Indian territories.[68] As per the NFHS, thefertility rate was 1.4, significantly below the national average of 2.0.[69]
Islam (96.6%) is the major religion of people of the islands withSunni Islam being the predominant denomination, followed byHinduism (2.8%) andChristianity (0.5%).[70][71] Most settlers of the islands are descendants of migrants from the Malabar coast of Southwest India and are ethnically similar to theMappilas ofKerala.[72][73] According to local tradition, Islam was brought to the islands byUbaidullah in 661 CE.[18] Although Islam is the predominant religion currently, the earliest settlers were probably Hindus, evidenced by the current social stratification andmatrilineal kinship system in Lakshadweep.[16] The southernmost island of Minicoy is populated by theMahls, an ethnic group also resident in theMaldives.[74]
English is the official language of the union territory.[4]Jeseri (also known asDweep Basha), a dialect ofMalayalam, is widely spoken language in the Amindivi and Laccadive islands.Mahl, a dialect ofDhivehi, is spoken in Minicoy.[76][77] There are minor variations of the same dialect across islands.[78]
Malayalam, written in theMalayalam script, was introduced as the primary language of Lakshadweep during the British Raj. This policy has been continued since independence, with Malayalam serving as a link language on all islands, including Minicoy.[79] Previously, a type ofArabic script, known as thePonnani orArabi Malayalam script, was used as the writing system.[80]
Coconut palms on the islands are commercially important
The economy is dependent onagriculture,fishery, andtourism.[16] As of 2013[update], there were 72 registeredmicro andsmall industries majorly involved in the public sector, and the manufacture offood products andfurniture. With a minimal arable land of 2.58 hectares, the major agriculture produce is coconuts.[40] The major exports from Lakshadweep are coconut products includingcoconut fibre (coir) and fishes.[40][81] The government runs five coir factories, five production demonstration centers, and seven curling units that produce coir fiber, yarn and mats.[82]
Bangaram Atoll is being promoted as a tourist destination
With a vast lagoon area and an exclusive economic zone of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi), fishing is a major industry. The estimated annual production is 21,016 tonnes of which 60% istuna and related fishes. About 60% of the total production is converted to dried products and 40% is allocated for local consumption.[83]Commercial fishing is concentrated around 11 islands withskipjack tuna andyellowfin tuna being the only commercial varieties. The government runs a tuna canning factory in the islands. Fishing is carried out using mechanized fishing boats, traditional country crafts, and country crafts fitted with outboard motors.[83][84]
Tourism in Lakshadweep began in 1974, when the Bangaram atoll was opened for international tourism.[85][86] According to government statistics, 10,435 domestic tourists and 1,313 foreign tourists visited the islands in 2018.[87] The government is promoting tourism as a means to increase the income of the local population, with Bangaram and Kadmat islands being promoted as potential tourist destinations. To promote tourism, activities such asscuba diving,wind surfing,snorkelling,surfing,kayaking,canoeing,water skiing,sportfishing,yachting and night sea voyages have been established.[86][88] Tourists require permission to visit Lakshadweep and foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands.[89] According to the currentalcohol laws of India,alcoholic beverage consumption is not permitted on the islands, except on Bangaram.[90] In 2024, the government proposed further programmes to improve infrastructure and promote tourism.[91] The potential negative effects of tourism on the environment and ecosystem of the islands are a subject of debate.[92]
There is no single power grid that connects Lakshadweep; independent power houses cater to the power requirements of the islands.[93] 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. Twodiesel generators were established in 1962, which generate about 51.6Kilo Watts of power. As of 2012[update], the islands have 41 diesel generators and 12solar photovoltaic systems with a total installed capacity of 18.5 Mega Watts.[93] In January 2024, asolar power plant was commissioned to augment the power generation capacity.[94]
The world's first ever experimentallow-temperature thermal desalination plant opened in Kavaratti in 2005, with a projected daily production capacity of 100,000 litres of potable water from seawater. The plant utilises 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.[95][96] The technology was developed at theNational Institute of Ocean Technology and the government has announced plans to build three more such plants.[97]
Mobile communication service is provided by state-ownedBSNL across all inhabited islands andAirtel in Kavratti and Agatti islands.[98][99] In 2020, the government announced a project to install under-seafiber optic cable for high-speed mobile and internet connectivity between Kochi and 11 islands of Lakshadweep, which was inaugurated in January 2024.[100][101]Post offices run byIndia Post providemail service.[40]
Lakshadweep is served by four hospitals with 200 beds, four primary health centers, and 14 sub-health centers operated by the government.[40]
The only airport in the territory isAgatti Airport on Agatti Island.[102][103] The 1.2 km (0.75 mi) runway is capable of serving smallturboprop aircraft. The government announced a plan in early 2024 to extend the runway to enable it to handle largernarrow body aircraft and expand the infrastructure to convert the airport into dual-use for civilian and military purposes. The construction of a greenfield airport at Minicoy Island was also proposed.[104] Twohelicopters are presently operated byPawan Hans and are utilised for passenger transport and emergency medical evacuation from the islands.[105][106]
As of 2019[update], there are 228 km (142 mi) of paved roads and norailway in the territory.[40][107] Additional roads have been planned, including a peripheral road at Kavaratti and beach front roads at Kadamath and Agatti islands.[108]
As of 2023[update], seven ships operate passenger services betweenKochi and the islands, with seasonal boat/ferry services available between islands.[109][110] In 2024, the government unveiled a plan to develop three ports at Androth, Kalpeni and Kadamath islands as a part of theSagar Mala project.[108] The ten inhabited island each have a minor port.[111] There are fifteenlighthouses on the islands, with theMinicoy Island Lighthouse (built in 1885) being the first modern lighthouse.[112][113][114]
The firstpublic school was opened in Amini in 1904, followed by the establishment ofelementary schools at Kiltan in 1911 and Kadmat in 1925.[116] The first high schools were established in the 1960s in Amini and Kalpeni.[117] As of 2023[update], there are 50 schools catering to 8,350 students.[118] There are four government colleges affiliated toPondicherry University and two colleges and three university centers affiliated toCalicut University in the territory.[117][119][120][121]
^The UT is part of Group C regions in Official Language Rules, 1976 which uses English as the official language, but translations have been done forMalayalam for some regulations.[5]
^Though one of the islands—Parali 1 island, part ofBangaram Atoll—has been completely inundated by 2017,[6] official sources maintain the count at 36.[7]
^the sum of area of individual islands does not add up to the total area, as there are other smallerislets,reefs andbanks which form part of the archipelago
^Hultzsch, E. (1991)."Inscriptions on the walls of the central shrine".South Indian Inscriptions: Tamil Inscriptions of Rajaraja, Rajendra Chola and Others in the Rajarajesvara Temple at Tanjavur (in Tamil). Vol. 2. Chennai: Superintendent, Government Press. p. 109. Retrieved21 September 2022.
^Forbes, Andrew D.W. (1979). "South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies: Volume 2: Sources towards a history of the Laccadive Islands".South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies.2:130–150.doi:10.1080/00856407908722989.
^Corn, Charles (1999) [First published 1998].The Scents of Eden: A History of the Spice Trade. Kodansha America. pp. 4–5.ISBN978-1-568-36249-6.
^Prostar Sailing Directions for India & Bay of Bengal En-route. National Geo spatial-intelligence Agency. 2005. p. 101.ISBN978-1-577-85662-7.
^Ashalatha, B.; Subrahmanyam, C.; Singh, R.N. (31 July 1991). "Origin and compensation of Chagos-Laccadive ridge, Indian ocean, from admittance analysis of gravity and bathymetry data".Earth and Planetary Science Letters.105 (1–3):47–54.Bibcode:1991E&PSL.105...47A.doi:10.1016/0012-821X(91)90119-3.
^Rao, T.A.; Ellis, J.L. (1995). "Flora of Lakshadweep Islands off the Malabar coast, peninsular India, with emphasis on phytogeographical distribution of plants".Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany.19:235–250.
^Lakshadweep Development Report(PDF).Department of Environment and Forests (Union Territory of Lakshadweep) (Report). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 25 April 2013. Retrieved3 August 2012.
^Khee Giap Tan; Linda Low; Kong Yam Tan; Vittal Kartik Rao (2013).Annual Analysis Of Competitiveness, Simulation Studies And Development Perspective For 35 States And Federal Territories Of India: 2000-2010. World Scientific Publishing Company. p. 546.
^T.N. Prakash; L. Sheela Nair; T.S. Shahul Hameed (2014).Geomorphology and Physical Oceanography of the Lakshadweep Coral Islands in the Indian Ocean.Springer International. p. 9.ISBN978-3-319-12367-7.
^Jha, Makhan (1997).The Muslim Tribes of Lakshadweep Islands: An Anthropological Appraisal. M.D. Publications.ISBN978-8-175-33032-0.
^Subramoniam, V. I. (1997).Dravidian Encyclopaedia. Vol. 3, Language and literature. Thiruvananthapuram: International School of Dravidian Linguistics. pp. 508–509.ISBN818569222X.
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