Capital
:Kavaratti
Population :('000s in 1991) 52
Area :('000 sq. km) 0.03
Principal Languages: Malayalam and Mahl
Industries : Copra, Coir, Vinegar, Fish Canning, Handicrafts.
Crops : Coconuts, Fruits.
Imagine yourself lazing on a divine beach, soaking the sun, with the
crashing waves in the background... Scuba diving, deep sea fishing,
kayaking, para sailing... Feasting your senses on the awesome marine
flora and fauna that surrounds you... Welcome to Lakshadweep !!! Scattered
some 200-400 kilometres west off the Kerala coast, lie the islands of
the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, an archipelago of 27 coral islands
and open reefs. Out of these islands, only ten are inhabited and they
are Andrott, Amini, Agatti, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmath, Kalpeni, Kavaratti,
Kiltan and Minicoy. These islands form the smallest of the Union Territories
of India, and are the country's only coral islands. The main islands
are Kavaratti, Minicoy, and Amini. Kavaratti is the headquarters of
these islands, while Bitra is the smallest of all, with a nominal population.
About 93 percent of the people in Lakshadweep are Shafi school Muslims
of the Sunni sect,and they speak Malayalam.
The Lakshadweep
archipelago consists of 36 islands some 200 to 300 km off the Kerala
coast. The islands are a northern extension of the Maldives chain. The
islands form the smallest of the Union Territories of India and are
the country's only coral islands. The population is 93% Muslim. Malayalam
is spoken on all the islands except Minicoy, where the people speaks
Mahl, the language spoken in the Maldives. The main occupations of the
island people are fishing and the production of copra and coir. Tourism
is an emerging industry. The first historical records date from the
7th century, when a marabout (Muslim saint) was shipwrecked on the island
of Amini. Despite initial opposition to his efforts to convert the inhabitants
to Islam, he eventually succeeded. When he died, he was buried on Andrott.
His grave is revered to this day as a sacred site. These palm-fringed
coral islands with their beautiful lagoons are every bit as inviting
as those in the Maldive archipelago, but until recently they were effectively
off limits. Now there are regular boat cruises and tours to the island
for Indian nationals, and the resort on the uninhabited island of Bangaram
is open to foreign tourists. Bangaram is in a six km by 10km lagoon
with three smaller islands - Thinnakara, Parali-1 and Parali-2.
