Introduction
• Including uninhabited islands India has a total of 1,382 islands.
• Of the 1382 islands, the two main groups of islands are Andaman and Nicobar islands and Lakshadweep islands.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands consist of 572 islands.
• And the Lakshadweep islands consist of 36 tiny islands.
Some Common Geographic Terms
◘ Atoll
• A ring-shaped coral reef, that encircles a lagoon partially or completely known as Atoll.
◘ Archipelago
• When a group of islands closely scattered in a body of water is called An archipelago.
◘ Island
• An island or isle is any piece of subcontinental land that is surrounded by water.
List of Islands of India
| ◘ Major Two Islands of India
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
|
| ◘ West Bengal | |
| • Bhutni Island • Bakkhali Island • Ghoramara Island • Gosaba Island • Haliday Island • Henry Island • Jambudwip • Kakdwip |
• Lohachara island • Marichjhanpi • Mousuni island • Namkhana island • Nayachar island • New Moore island • Patharpratima island • Sagar island |
| ◘ Tamil Nadu | |
| • Hare Island • Krusadai Island • Nallathanni Theevu • Pamban Island • Pullivasal Island |
• Srirangam Island • Upputanni Island • Vivekananda Rock • Quibble Island • Kattupalli Island |
| ◘ Odisha | |
| • Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) • Cattle Island • Hukitola |
• Kalijai Island • Parikud Island • Nalbana Island |
| ◘ Meghalaya | |
| Nongkhnum River Island | |
| ◘ Manipur | |
| Keibul Lamjao Island | Floating Islands (Phumdi) |
| ◘ Maharashtra | |
| • Ambu Island • Butcher Island • Cross Island • Elephanta Island • Hog Island • Khanderi Island • Madh Island • Marve Island |
• Middle Ground Isle • Murud-Janjira • Oyster Rock • Panju Island • Salsette Island • Sinoy Hill Island • Suvarnadurg Island • Underi Island • Yeshwantgad Island |
| ◘ Andhra Pradesh | |
| • Bhavani Island • Diviseema • Konaseema |
• Hope • Irukkam • Sriharikota • Venadu |
| ◘ Assam | |
| • Dibru Saikhowa Island • Majuli Island • Umananda Island |
|
| ◘ Kerala | |
| • Chavara Thekkumbhagom • Dharmadam Island • Edayilakkad • Ezhumanthuruthu • Gundu Island • Kavvayi Islands • Kothad • Kuruvadweep • Moolampilly Island • Munroe Island • Nedungad |
• Panangad, Kochi • Parumala • Pathiramanal • Pizhala • Poochakkal • Pulinkunnoo • Ramanthuruth • Sathar Island • Vallarpadam • Venduruthy • Vypin • Willingdon Island |
| ◘ Karnataka | |
| • Netrani Island • Basavaraj Durga Island • St. Mary’s Islands • Srirangapatna |
• Uppinakudru • Nisargadhama • Pavoor Uliya |
| ◘ Gujarat | |
| • Bet Dwarka • Kabirvad • Khadir Bet Island |
• Kutch Island • Piram Island • Pirotan Island |
Brief Notes about the Important Islands of India
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
♦ Location
• The Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal and the
Andaman Sea.
• The territory is about 150 km north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and
Myanmar by the Andaman Sea.
♦ Extension
• The islands extend from 6° to 14° North latitude and from 92° to 94° East longitude.
♦ Area
• The total land area of the islands is approximately 8,249 km2.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are 517 km long and 58 km (maximum) wide.
• The Andaman group islands are 260 km long and 30 km wide with a total area of 6596 sq
km.
▲ Physiography
• This Island made by Tertiary sandstone, Limestone and Shale.
• The Andaman and Nicobar islands are the extension of the submerged Arakan Mountains.
• The entire islands has 572 islands.
• Out of 572 islands 38 are permanently inhabited.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands consisting of two groups of islands they are _
1. Andaman Islands
2. Nicobar Islands
♦ About Andaman Islands
◘ Division of Andaman Islands
• The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,170 km2.
• Andaman group of Islands is divided into three major groups, namely _
1. North Andaman
2. Middle Andaman
3. South Andaman
◘ Great Andaman is the main archipelago of the Andaman Islands of India.
• It comprises seven major islands. From north to south, these are _
• North Andaman
• Interview Island
• Middle Andaman
• Long Island
• Baratang Island
• South Andaman and
• Rutland Island.
◘ Saddle Peak (2402 ft) is the highest peak of entire Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.
◘ The peak is located in North Andaman Island.
◘ The Andaman group has 325 islands.
◘ Total area of the Andaman Islands is 6,170 km2.
◘ Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar islands located in the South Andaman district.
◘ The Barren island is the only active volcano of the Indian subcontinent.
◘ Besides active volcano, There is a dormant volcano in the Andamans called Narcondam.
◘ The volcano is located in the Andaman sea, nearest to the capital Port Blair.
◘ In December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, renamed three of the islands as a tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose.
• Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island
• Neil Island as Shaheed Island
• Havelock Island as Swaraj Island.
◘ Important Islands of Andaman group of Islands
• Smith Island
• Interview Island
• Anderson Island
• Long Island
• Boning Island
• Ross Island (Under Port Blair islands)
• Rutland Island
• Passage Island
• Havelock Island
• Button Islands
• Sentinel Islands
♦ About Nicobar Islands
• The Nicobar group has only 247 islands.
• The total 1,765 km2 area covered by this island.
◘ Division of Nicobar Islands
• The territory is divided into three districts
1. Car Nicobar (North)
2. Camorta (Kamorta) and Nancowry (central group)
3. Great Nicobar (South)
◘ The Nicobar group has only 247 islands with an area of 1,765 km2.
◘ The Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India.
◘ The Great Nicobar island lies only 200 km from Sumatra island in Indonesia.
◘ The southernmost point of India’s territory, Indira Point is a village in the Nicobar district at Great Nicobar Island.
◘ This village was named Indira Point after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
◘ The point was formerly known as Pygmalion Point and Parsons Point.
◘ Important Islands of Nicobar group of Islands
• Battimalv Island
• Katchal Island
• Litte Nicobar Island
• Kondul Island
♦ Channel / Passage
• The Great Andaman and Nicobar islands are separated by the 10 degree Channel.
• The Little Andaman and Ruth land island (part of Great Andaman Islands) is separated by the Duncan Passage.
▲ Andaman & Nicobar Islands quick overview
• Country – India
• Established – 1 November 1956
• Capital and largest city – Port Blair
• Lieutenant Governor – Admiral (Retd.) Devendra Kumar Joshi
• High Court – Calcutta High Court – Port Blair Bench
• Total Area – 8,249 km2
• State Animal – Dugong
• State Bird – Andaman Wood Pigeon
• State Flower – Pyinma (Lagerstroemia speciosa)
• State Tree – Andaman Paduk
Lakshadweep Islands
♦ Location
• Lakshadweep is a union territory of India.
• It is an archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian sea.
• Located 200 to 440 km from the Malabar Coast.
♦ Extension
• The islands extend from 10° to 14.57° North latitude and from 72.64° East longitudes.
♦ Area
• The total surface area of Lakshadweep Islands is 32 km2 .
• The lagoon area covers about 4,200 km2.
• The territorial waters area 20,000 km2
• And the exclusive economic zone area 400,000 km2.
▲ Physiography
♦ Division of Lakshadweep Islands
• Lakshadweep group of Islands is divided into three major groups , namely _
1. Aminidivi Islands
2. Laccadive Islands
3. Minicoy Island
♦ Important island of Lakshadweep
• Amini Island (belongs to Aminidivi subgroups)
• Bitrs Island (belongs to Aminidivi subgroups)
• Kadmat Island (belongs to Aminidivi subgroups)
• Kiltan Island (belongs to Aminidivi subgroups)
• Agatti Island (Laccadive groups)
• Androth Island (Laccadive groups)
• Kalpeni Island (Laccadive groups)
• Kavaratti Island (Laccadive groups)
• Kalpatti Island (Laccadive groups)
• Minicoy Island (Minicoy Groups)
• Viringili Island (Minicoy Groups)
♦ Important Fact about the Islands of Lakshadweep
• Lakshadweep is a coral island of India located in the Arabian sea.
• Amini Island was one of the first islands in the archipelago to be inhabited.
• Kavaratti is the capital of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India.
• Agatti Aerodrome is the only airport of Lakshadweep.
• The Andrott Island is the largest island of Lakshadweep (area 4.90 sq km)
• The official language of Lakshadweep is Malayalam.
• The nearest island to the Maldives is Minicoy.
• Minicoy is the only island where the Divehi Mahal language is widely spoken.
• Divehi is the official language of Maldives.
• The name Lakshadweep means “one lakh islands” in Malayalam.
• The Lakshadweep islands is the smallest Union Territory of India.
• Fishing and coconut cultivation are the main occupation of the people of Lakshadweep.
• The closest land to the Lakshadweep is Kerala.
• The Bitra Island is the smallest inhabited island.
• The Minicoy is the second largest island of Lakshdweep after Androth.
♦ Channel
• 11 degree Channel – Aminidivi and Cannanore of Kannur in Kerala separated by 11 degree channel.
• 9 degree Channel – It separates the island of Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep archipelago.
• 8 degree Channel – The Eight Degree Channel separates the islands of Minicoy and Maldives.
Lakshadweep quick overview
• Smallest UT’s of India
• Formation – 1 November 1956
• Capital – Kavaratti
• Administrator – Praful Khoda Patel
• Area – 32.62 km2
• Official Languages – Malayalam, English
• No. of districts – 1
• Largest city – Andrott
• State Bird – Brown noddy (Anous stolidus)
• State Fish – Butterfly fish (Chaetodon falcula)
• State Tree- Bread fruit (Artocarpus incisa)
Other important Islands of India
| Island | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Abdul Kalam Island | • Abdul Kalam Island, located near the coast of Chandipur in Balasore district, Odisha in the Bay of Bengal. • Formerly the Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, known as Wheeler Island. • The Integrated Test Range missile testing facility of ISRO is located on the island. • The island was originally named after English commandant Lieutenant Hugh Wheeler. •The nearest port is Dhamra Port. |
| Sriharikota | • Sriharikota is a barrier island off the Bay of Bengal coast located in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, India. • It houses the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, one of the two satellite launch centres in India. |
| Majui | · Majuli is the largest riverine island of the world Between the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers ·
• Formed due to course changes by the rivers · • In 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India. |
| Pamban Island | · Also known as Rameswaram Island · Separated from the mainland India by the Pamban Channel · Most of the island is covered with white sands · Coconut and palm trees are found in abundance · Main towns – Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi |
Disputed Island
| Island | Key Points |
|---|---|
| New Moor | • New Moor island located in the delta region of Ganges-Brahmaputra of Bay of Bengal • It is also known as SouthTalpatti and Purbasha Island. • It is a disputed island between India and Bangladesh • The island was adversely affected by the Bhola cyclone in November 1970. • It lies between the Satkhira district of Bangladesh and the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal |
| Kachchitevu Isand | • It was a disputed island between Indian and Sri Lanka. • The Island is located in the Palk Strait, Only 16 km from the coast Tamil Nadu. • Later This island given to Srilanka as per the agreement of 1974. • The maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka passes through the Palk Strait as Palk Bay touches Dhanuskodi. |
