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Lakshadweep
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Lakshadweep (; , []), , []), the smallest union territory of India, is a group of islands 200 to 300 km off of the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea. Their total land area is 11 sq mi or 32 kmē. Eleven of the islands are inhabited. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Lakshadweepa.
Demographics
The people of all the northern islands speak a dialect of Malayalam.
Discussion
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Encyclopedia
Lakshadweep (; , []), , []), the smallest union territory of India, is a group of islands 200 to 300 km off of the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea. Their total land area is 11 sq mi or 32 kmē. Eleven of the islands are inhabited. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Lakshadweepa.
Etymology
Lakshwadeep literally means one lakh or a hundred thousand islands.
Demographics
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 of the indigenous population is Muslim. The locals call themselves the Div-i or the Aminidivi ("from the mother island"). There is also a sizable Ahmadiyya Muslim Community there.
History
Little is known about the early history of the Lakshadweep islands. The oldest inhabited islands in the group are Amini, Andrott, Kavaratti and Agatti. It was earlier believed that the Lakshadweep islanders were originally Hindus who later converted to Islam in the 14th century AD. However, recent archaeological evidence has established that Buddhist settlements had existed in the islands as early as the 6th or 7th century AD. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep by the Arab saint Ubaidulla in 41 AH. His grave is located in the island of Agatti. Muslim grave stones dated to 139 AH have also been discovered here. During the 11th century AD, the islands came under the rule of the Medieval Cholas.
In the 17th century AD, the islands came under the rule of Ali Rajahs/Arakkal Bheevi of Kannur, who received them as a gift from the Kolathiris. The Portuguese took control to exploit coir production. The Portuguese invasion was a period of great brutality on the islands, and eventually the islanders expelled the Portuguese. The islands are also mentioned in great detail in the stories of the Arab traveller Ibn Batuta.
The Amindivi group of islands (Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra) came under the rule of Tipu Sultan in 1787. They passed to British control after the Third Anglo-Mysore War and were attached to South Canara. The rest of the islands came under the 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, despite the fact that most of the Islanders were Malayalis, the States Reorganisation Act separated these islands from the mainland administrative units, forming a new union territory by combining all the islands.
Politics
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. The Territory also elects one member to the Lok Sabha. The panchayat raj system is implemented in the islands.
There are dweep panchyats and district panchayat in each island; each dweep panchayat has its own elected chairperson. Democracy is limited to Pachayats and the sole member of the Lok Sabha; most power resides with the Administrator.
Agriculture
Coconut is the main crop cultivated in the islands. Lakshadweep is India's largest producer of coconuts. About 2,598 hectares are under coconut cultivation and the productivity per hectare is 22,310. Coconuts cultivated in the L:akshadweep are also rich in coconut oil.
Economy
Lakshadweep's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $60 million at current prices. Coconut fibre extraction and production of fibre products is Lakshadweep's main industry. There are five coir fibre factories, five production cum demonstration centres and seven fibre curling units run by the Government of India. These units produce coir fibre, coir yarn, curled fibre and corridor mattings.
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.
Islands, Reefs, Banks
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.
Two banks further north are not considered part of the group:
The atolls, reefs and banks are listed from north to south in the table:
| Atoll/Reef/Bank(alternate name) | type | LandArea(kmē) | LagoonArea(kmē) | No. ofislets | Pop.Census2001 | Location |
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| Amindivi Islands | | Cora Divh | bank | - | 339.45 | - | - | | | Sesostris Bank | bank | - | 388.53 | - | - | | | Bassas de Pedro(Munyal Par, Padua Bank) | bank | - | 2474.33 | - | - | | | Cherbaniani Reef (Beleapani Reef) | reef | 0.01 | 172.59 | 2 | - | | | Byramgore Reef (Chereapani) | reef | 0.01 | 57.46 | 1 | - | | | Chetlat Island | atoll | 1.14 | 1.60 | 1 | 2289 | | | Bitra Island | atoll | 0.10 | 45.61 | 2 | 264 | | | Kiltan Island | atoll | 2.20 | 1.76 | 1 | 3664 | | | Kadmat Island (Cardamum) | atoll | 3.20 | 37.50 | 1 | 5319 | | | Elikalpeni Bank | bank | - | 95.91 | - | - | | | Peremul Par | reef | 0.01 | 83.02 | 1 | - | | | Amini Island 1) | atoll | 2.59 | 155.09 1) | 1 | 7340 | | | Laccadive Islands | | Bingaram Island (Bangaram) 2) | atoll | 2.30 | 46.25 | 4 | - 3) | | | Agatti Island 2) | atoll | 3.84 | 17.50 | 4 | 7072 | | | Pitti Island 1) | island 1) | 0.01 | 155.09 1) | 1 | - | | | Androth Island (Andrott) | atoll | 4.90 | 4.84 | 1 | 10720 | | | Kavaratti Island | atoll | 4.22 | 4.96 | 1 | 10113 | | | Kalpeni Island | atoll | 2.79 | 25.60 | 7 | 4319 | | | Suheli Par | atoll | 0.57 | 78.76 | 2 | - | | | Minicoy | | Investigator Bank | bank | - | 141.78 | - | - | | | Minicoy Island | atoll | 4.80 | 30.60 | 2 | 9495 | | | 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 kmē | | 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 to visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands. Consumption of alcohol is not permitted in the islands except on 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: ??????????, ??????????, ??????? []). The Laccadive Islands plus Minicoy Island are known as the Cannanore Islands.
Transportation
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 helicopter or boat service.
Ships are the major means of transportation for the islanders. Ships are operated from either Kochi or Beypore (Calicut). There are around 5 passenger ships, but generally only two at a time operate. Advance bookings are required. Sailong schedules are arranged so that each island gets priority at some time of the year.
There are vessels operating between some of the larger islands like Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni etc., but sailings are affected by weather conditions.
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