Question

Write short notes on the island groups of India.

Answer 1

Hint: There are two island groups in India and these islands are considered to be an elevated portion of the submarine mountains. One of the islands was severely affected by the tsunami in 2004 caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake.

Complete Answer: The two island groups of India are the Lakshadweep Island in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

The Lakshadweep islands are situated in the Arabian Sea to the west of Kerala Coast and all these are coral islands. They have been formed through deposition of the dead bodies of microorganisms like corals over a long period of time. It expands over approximately 32 square kilometres and consists of 36 islands in total. Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep Islands, the Union Territory of India. The largest island is the Minicoy with an area of 4.801 square kilometres. The entire group of islands is divided into two sections by the Eleven-degree channel - Amini Islands in the north and Cannanore Island in the south.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are situated in the Bay of Bengal form a group of 572 islands. They are situated at a distance of 1200 km from the mainland. They are the raised portions of the mountain chain visible over the water of the sea. The degree channel divides the island into Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andaman Islands extend between 10 degrees to 14 degrees North latitude in North-west-north to South-east-south direction. The area of these islands is 8300 square kilometre. The Great Andaman group of Islands is divided into three parts, the Great Andamans, the Middle, and the little Andamans. In the Great Andamans, the Northern, the Middle and the Southern Andamans are more important. All these island groups are made of sandstone, limestone and shale. Port Blair is the capital city of this island group is the largest city and port of the Great Andamans. South or the little Andamans has the highest mountain peak, Mount Harriet with a height of 450 meters. The Nicobar island is separated by the Ten-degree channel and expands over 1648 square kilometres.

Note: The Republic of India is a country of great geographical extent, which is often referred to as a subcontinent. Due to its vastness in size, it is often described as a subcontinent.