Lakshadweep

“Lakshadweep, the group of 36 islands is known for its exotic

and sun-kissed beaches and lush green landscape. The name
Lakshadweep in Malayalam and Sanskrit means ‘a hundred
thousand islands’. ”
India’s smallest Union Territory Lakshadweep is an
archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km.
It is a uni-district Union Territory and comprises of 12 atolls,
three reefs, five submerged banks and ten inhabited islands.
The islands have a total area of 32 sq km. The capital is
Kavaratti and it is also the principal town of the UT. All Islands
are 220 to 440 km away from the coastal city of Kochi in
Kerala, in the emerald Arabian Sea. The natural landscapes,
the sandy beaches, abundance of flora and fauna and the
absence of a rushed lifestyle enhance the mystique of
Lakshadweep.
Only BSNL and Airtel provides telecommunication services to
Lakshadweep Islands. BSNL provides connectivity in all 10
inhabited islands where as Airtel provides connectivity to
Kavaratti and Agatti islands.
 Distribution of Land
in Lakshadweep
3400
3200
3000
2800
2600
2400
2200
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014
Total Geographical Area Total Reporting Area Area Not Available For Culivation
Total Cropped Area Net Sown Area Area Sown More Than Once

Species on Lakshadweep
The flora of the islands include Banana, Vazha,
(Musaparadisiaca), Colocassia, Chambu
(Colocassia antiquarum) Drumstic moringakkai
(Moringa Oleifera) , Bread Fruit, Chakka
(Artocarpus incisa) wild almond (Terminalia
Catappa) which are grown extensively. Some of
the shrub jungles plant like Kanni
(Scaevolakeeningil), Punna,
(Calaphylluminophyllum), Chavok(Casurina
equisetifolia), Cheerani (Thespesia Populnea) are
unevenly grown throughout the island. Coconut,
Thenga (Cacos nucifera) is the only crop of
economic importance in Lakshadweep. These are
found in different varieties such as Laccadive
micro, Laccadive ordinary, green dwarf etc. Two
different varieties of sea grass are seen adjacent
to the beaches. They are known as Thalassia
hemprichin and Cymodocea isoetifolia. They
prevent sea erosion and movement of the beach
sediments.
The marine life of the sea is quite elaborate and
difficult to condense. The commonly seen
vertebrates are cattle and poultry. Oceanic birds
generally found in Lakshadweep are Tharathasi
(Sterna fuscata) and Karifetu (Anous solidus).
They are generally found in one of the
uninhabited islands known as PITTI. This island
has been declared as a bird sanctuary.
Molluscan forms are also important from the
economic point of the islands. The money cowrie
(cypraea monita) are also found in abundance in
the shallow lagoons and reefs of the islands.
Other cypraeds found here are cypraca talpa and
cyprea maculiferra. Among crabs, the hermit
crab is the most common. Colorful coral fish such
as parrot fish (Callyedon sordidus), Butterfly fish
(Chaetodon auriga), Surgeon fish (Acanthurus
lineotus) are also found in plenty.
Species on Lakshadweeep
736
750
Total Number of Species

675
600
525
450
375
300
225
150 79 95
75 53
2 18
0
Economically Medicinally Fishes Amphibans Reptiles Birds
Strong Plants Important
species
Flora And Fauna

Nestled in the azure waters of the Arabian Sea, the

Lakshadweep Islands are a tropical paradise located about
200 km off the southwestern coast of India. With a tropical
climate characterized by warm temperatures and high
humidity, the islands provide an ideal environment for a
diverse array of life forms to thrive. From the lush coconut
plantations that dominate the terrestrial landscape to the
vibrant coral reefs that form the backbone of the marine
ecosystem, the flora and fauna of Lakshadweep are as
diverse as they are fascinating. Before delving into the details
of plant and animal varieties found in these coral islands, let
us quickly go through some facts related to flora and fauna of
Lakshadweep below –

Lakshadweep islands are one of the four coral reef regions in

India. It consists of over 600 species of marine fishes, 78
 species of corals, 400 species of flowering plants, 82 species
of seaweed, and 101 species of birds in addition to various
species of seaweeds, lobsters, gastropods, etc.

140

130

120

110

100
Agatti
90 Androth
Amini
80 Bitra
70 Chetlat
Minicoy
60 Kalpeni
Kadmath
50
Kavaratti
40 Kiltan

30

20

10

0
2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2008 2009-2010
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union
territory of India. It consists of 836 islands (of which only
31 are inhabited) grouped into two island groups: the
northern Andaman Islands and the southern Nicobar
Islands, separated by a 150 km (93 mi) wide channel. Port
Blair is the capital and largest city of the territory, located
about 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai and 1,255 km
(780 mi) from Kolkata in mainland India. The islands are
sandwiched between the Bay of Bengal to the west and
the Andaman Sea to the east with the northern-most point
located 901 km (560 mi) from the mouth of Hooghly
river. Indira Point at 6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E at the
southern tip of Great Nicobar is the southernmost point of
India.
The territory shares maritime
borders with Indonesia located about 165 km (103 mi) to
the south, Myanmar located 280 km (170 mi) to the north-
east and Thailand located 650 km (400 mi) to the south-
east. The islands occupy a total land area of approximately
8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi) with a population of 380,581 as
per the 2011 census. The territory is divided into three
districts: Nicobar, South Andaman, and North and Middle
Andaman with the capitals at Car Nicobar, Port Blair
and Mayabunder respectively.
Genetic and cultural studies suggest that the indigenous
Andamanese people may have been isolated from other
populations during the Middle Paleolithic era, more than
30,000 years ago. Archeological evidence of civilization
 has been dated back to 2,200 years. In the 11th century
CE, Cholas, one of the three Tamil kingdoms, used the
islands as a naval base to launch expeditions in South East
Asia. The Danish were the first Europeans to arrive on the
islands in 1755. The islands became part of the British
Raj in 1868. During the Second World War, the islands
were invaded by the Japanese Empire. After Indian
Independence in 1947, the region became a province and
later a union territory after the adoption of
the Constitution of India in 1950.
The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the
only geographical command operated jointly by the three
major wings of the Indian Armed Forces: the Army, the Air
Force and the Navy. While Hindi and English are the
official languages, the major spoken languages
include Bengali, Tamil and Telugu. Indigenous people
speak any of the Andamanese or Nicobarese family of
languages. Hinduism is the majority religion in the union
territory, with a significant Christian minority. The islands
are also home to the Sentinelese people, an uncontacted
tribe.
16
14
12
10
8
6 Andaman
4 Nicobar
Both
2
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Species on Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The islands have mangroves interspersed with

marshes, coconut trees or dispersed bushy vegetation along
the coast. There are twelve types of forests that occur in the
islands including evergreen, deciduous,
mangrove, littoral, bamboo, sub-montane and brackish
water forests. North Andaman is characterised by wet
evergreen forests with climbing plants, Middle Andaman has
moist deciduous forests and South Andaman islands
have epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and orchids. The
North Nicobar islands are mostly barren
with grasslands while evergreen forests form the dominant
vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar
group. The forest coverage is estimated to be 86.2% of the
total land area with about 2,200 varieties of plants of which
200 are endemic and 1,300 do not occur in mainland
India. There are more than 200 species used for timber.
 Number of Species
19
18 18
18
17
17
16
15
14
13
13
12
11
Number of Species

10
10
9
8
7
6 6
6
5
4
3
3
2
1
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Flora and Fauna