Important Islands of India

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 the 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 island Groups in India

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Located in the Bay of Bengal)
• Lakshadweep Islands (Located in the Arabian Sea)

State-wise List of Major Islands of India

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 is made of Tertiary sandstone, Limestone and Shale.
• The Andaman and Nicobar islands are the extension of the submerged Arakan Mountains.
• The entire island has 572 islands.
• Out of 572 islands 38 are permanently inhabited.
• Andaman and the Nicobar Islands consist of two groups of islands they are _
1. the Andaman Islands
2. the Nicobar Islands

♦ About Andaman Islands

◘ Division of Andaman Islands
• The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,170 km^2.
• 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

Disputed Island