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Islands of India

Islands of India

Desert, Coasts and Islands · 2 min read

India has two island groups in the seas around it.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands and LakshadweepIsland groups of IndiaPort BlairHavelock (Swaraj Dweep)Neil (Shaheed Dweep)Little AndamanCar NicobarGreat NicobarCampbell BayNarcondam (extinct volcano)Barren Island (active volcano)Saddle Peak 732 mMt Thullier 642 mIndira Point 6°45'NTen Degree ChannelDuncan PassageGreat ChannelPreparis ChannelAndaman SeaNORTH ANDAMANMIDDLE / SOUTH ANDAMANNICOBAR ISLANDSBitraChetlatKiltanKadmatAminiBangaramAgattiKavaratti (capital)AndrothKalpeniSuheli ParMinicoyNine Degree ChannelEight Degree ChannelArabian SeaMaldives (south of 8°N)Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Bay of Bengal)Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea)Two separate panels, each at its own scale. Positions approximate. JKEdusphere
Left: Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Bay of Bengal). Right: Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea). The two panels have different scales. Positions approximate.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Bay of Bengal)

  • About 572 islands and islets (only about 37 inhabited); stretching about 700 km from north to south; extension of the Arakan Yoma (Myanmar) fold ranges, partly volcanic.
  • Two groups: Andaman (north) and Nicobar (south), separated by the Ten Degree Channel.
  • Great Andaman: North, Middle, South Andaman; Duncan Passage separates South and Little Andaman.
  • Capital: Port Blair (renamed Sri Vijaya Puram, 2024), South Andaman.
  • Saddle Peak (732 m) (North Andaman): highest in the UT.
  • Barren Island: only active volcano in India; Narcondam: dormant volcano; Hornbill.
  • Great Nicobar: largest of the Nicobar; Indira Point (6°45'N) at the southern tip; Mount Thullier; Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.
  • Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep), Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) were renamed in 2018. North Sentinel Island: home of the isolated Sentinelese.
  • Tribes: Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese (all PVTGs); Shompen, Nicobarese in Nicobar.
  • Vegetation: evergreen, mangroves; Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP.
  • Tsunami of 26 December 2004 devastated the Nicobar group.

Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea)

  • 36 islands (about 10 inhabited), coral (atoll) islands built on the Chagos-Laccadive ridge; total area only about 32 sq km; smallest UT; capital Kavaratti; jurisdiction of Kerala High Court.
  • Groups: Amindivi, Laccadive, Minicoy. Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the rest; the Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the Maldives.
  • Minicoy is the southernmost island and is culturally close to the Maldives.
  • Largest island by area: Andrott (about 4.9 sq km). Coconut and tuna fishing; Bangaram and Agatti (airport).

Other islands

IslandStateNote
MajuliAssamLargest river island in the world (by area, Guinness 2016); in Brahmaputra; first island district of India (2016)
SriharikotaAPISRO launch site (Satish Dhawan Space Centre); barrier island of Pulicat
PambanTamil NaduRameswaram; Pamban bridge
Diu, Salsette, ElephantaGujarat / MaharashtraDiu island; Salsette (Mumbai); Elephanta caves
Wheeler Island (Abdul Kalam Island)OdishaMissile test range
Sagar IslandWest BengalGangasagar
DivarGoaMandovi
Srirangam, SivasamudramTamil Nadu / KarnatakaCauvery islands

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Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.