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The Laccadive Islands, renamed
Lakshadweep in 1973, are located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala,
some 200 to 300 km away consists of 36 coral islands covering a land area of
32 sq. km, only ten are inhabited. They are, in descending order of size,
Minicoy, Andrott, Kavaratti, Kadmat, Agatti, Amini, Kalpeni, Kiltan, Chetlat
and Bitra. The main islands are Kavarrati, Minicoy, and Amini. The total
population is about 51,000.
Most of the inhabitants are Muslims (93%) who speak Malayalam. Fishing and
copra production from coconuts are the main occupation of the inhabitants.
In all, the archipelago offers good facilities for cruising in the
crystal-Clearwater of the lagoons and swimming.
The historical record shows that around the 7th century a Muslim saint was
shipwrecked on the island of Amini. The inhabitants were converted to Islam
despite initial opposition. Although the sovereignty remained in the hands
of the Hindu Raja of Chirakkal, it eventually passed to the Ali Raja of
Cannanore (Kannur) in the 16th century, the only Muslim royal family of
Kerala, and later in 1783 to Tipu Sultan. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan at
the battle of Srirangapatnam in 1799 to the British, the Lakshadweep were
annexed by the East India Company. The islands form the smallest Union
Territories and was constituted in 1956. |
