Lakshadweep

Meet the tiniest Union Territory of India

Of the nine Union Territories of India, Lakshadweep is the tiniest – it is an archipelago comprising 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks, spread over an area of 32 sq kms.

Lakshadweep has ten inhabited islands - Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat, Bitra, Andrott, Kalpeni and Minicoy. Of these, Bitra is the smallest, with a population of just 225.

Where on earth is it

Lakshadweep is located between 8 º- 12 º 13" North Latitude and 71º -74º East Longitude,
at a distance of 220 to 440 kms from the coastal city of Kochi, Kerala, in the Arabian Sea.

Its lagoon area is spread over 4200 sq kms, and has claim over 20,000 sq kms of territorial waters, besides an economic zone that spans 4,00,000 sq kms.

People, Language and culture

As per the 1991 census, Lakshadweep's population was logged at 51, 707 (as per the Provisional Population Data Sheet, Census-2001).

The indigenous population, whose major occupations are fishing, coconut cultivation and
coir twisting, has been classified as Scheduled Tribes as they have remained backward, both socially and economically.

Malayalam (the main language of neighbouring Kerala) serves as the most popular medium of communication in all the islands, except Minicoy, where Mahl (an Indo-Aryan language used in the Republic of Maldives) is the preferred language.