Lakshadweep

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Lakshadweep

Capital - Coordinates	Kavaratti - 10.57° N 72.62° E
Largest city	Kavaratti
Population (2001) - Density	60,595 (7th) - 1,894/km²
Area - Districts	32 km² (7th) - 1
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Establishment - Administrator	1956-11-01 - Shri Rajendra Kumar
Official language(s)	Malayalam
Abbreviation (ISO)	IN-LD
Website: lakshadweep.nic.in
Seal of Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep (pronunciation (help·info); Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്, [Lakṣadvīp]) is the smallest union territory of India. Located in the Arabian Sea, it consists of twelve coral atolls, three coral reefs, five banks, and numerous islets that lie 200–300 km off of the coast of Kerala. 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.

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

[edit] Demographics

The people of the islands speak a dialect of Malayalam. According to local folk beliefs, they descended from traders who where washed up on the islands during a particularly heavy storm.

The islanders are ethnically similar to coastal Kerala's Malayali people, and are mainly of mixed Indian and Arab descent. Inhabitants of Minicoy, the southernmost and largest island, closely resemble Maldivians and speak Mahl (closely related to Dhivehi (Maldivian)), of which it could even be a dialect. Most — 93% — 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").

[edit] History

The first westerner 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 Chirakkal 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.

[edit] 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. It also elects one member to the Lok Sabha.

[edit] Economy

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.

[edit] Islands

Lakshadweep Islands map

One of the uninhabited islands in Lakshadweep

The inhabited islands are:

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 may need a permit to visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands.

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]).