Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep is around 2100 km away from our capital and consists of only 0.01% population of India. It is a great tourist spot and also quite significant in terms of history. So it is a worth-knowing Union Territory.
| Topic | Data/Facts |
| 1 History | 1.1 The name Lakshadweep means “one lakh islands” in Malayalam, though the Laccadive Islands are just one part of the archipelago of no more than a hundred islands. 1.2 The UT was formed on 1st November, 1956. |
| 2 Geography | 2.1 Climate: (i) Lakshadweep has a tropical climate and it has an average temperature of 27° C – 32° C. (ii) April and May are the hottest with an average temperature of 32° C Generally the climate is humid warm and pleasant. (iii) As the climate is equitable during monsoons, ship-based tourism is closed. (iv) October to March is the ideal time to be on the islands. (v) From June to October the South West Monsoon is active with an average rainfall of 10-40 mm. 2.2 Agriculture: (i) Lakshadweep agriculture earns the livelihood for more than ninety percent of the population of this union territory. Coconut cultivation is a major economic activity of the people here. Very recently in some of the interior parts of the islands water logging was done to facilitate cultivation of rice and other food crops. (ii) Jowar, ragi, sweet potatoes, sorgum and banana are the other products of cultivation in Lakshadweep islands. Most of these crops are grown here after the rains. Otherwise coconut cultivation is the main occupation of the people of the Lakshadweep islands. It is known that millets were once cultivated here but the growing commercial demand for coconut have drawn the people of the islands to concentrate more on it. (iii) The main products of Lakshadweep agriculture that are transported from here to the other parts of the country are the medicinal plants like dried fenari, dondhi and thaluthama. Plated coconut leaves, coconut planks, jaggery, vinegar and cowries are also transported from the Lakshadweep group of islands. 2.3 Animals: 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. 2.4 Neighbour: Arabian Sea 2.5 Capital city: Kavaratti 2.6 Total Land Area: (i) Total area is 32.62 sq. km. (ii) 36th largest state in India. |
| 3 Forestry | 3.1 Forest: (i) Forest Cover: 27.10 sq. km. (ii) Very Dense Forest: 0 (iii) Moderately Dense Forest: 16.09 sq. km. (iv) Open Forest: 11.01 sq. km. (Data as per ISFR 2019 assessment) 3.2 Wild Life Sanctuary: Amini, India Wildlife Sanctuary 3.3 Birds Sanctuary: Pitti Bird Sanctuary |
| 4 Economy | 4.1 Major Economic Data: GDP: ₹324 crore 4.2 Industries: Major industries are as under: – (i) In Lakshadweep, the estimated potential of marine fishery resources is about one lakh tonnes of tuna and tuna such as fished and shark. (ii) Tourism is one of the few areas that can play a vital role in generating revenue, jobs and overall island growth. |
| 5 Transportation | 5.1 Air, Rail and Seaports are the major transportation means of Lakshadweep. 5.2 Other Important facts: (i) The islands are linked by the Pawan Hans helicopter or boat service. (ii) Six ships connect Kochi, Kozhikode (Beypore) and Lakshadweep: MV Kavaratti, MV Amindivi, MV Minicoy, MV Arabian Sea, MV Lakshadweep Sea and MV Bharath Seema. (iii) Mangala Lakshadweep Express is a superfast train that runs between Delhi and Kochi. (iv) Tourists essentially need a permission to visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands. 5.3 Nearest Railway Stations (i) Tanur (ii) Tirur (iii) Parpanangadi (iv) Kadalundi (v) Vallikunnu (vi) Kozhikode (vii) Payyoli 5.4 Major Air Ports: Domestic Airports: Agatti Airport 5.5 Major Sea Ports: (i) Agatti Island (ii) Kiltan Island (iii) Androth Island (iv) Bitra Island (v) Chettat Island (vi) Kavaratti Island (vii) Kadmat Island (viii) Amini Island |
| 6 Infrastructures | 6.1 Power installed Capacity: (i) Total Power: 0.75 MW (ii) Thermal: 0 (iii) Nuclear: 0 (iv) Hydro: 0 (v) Renewable Energy Source: 0.75 MW |
| 7 Census and Demography | 7.1 Demographic Data: (i) Population: 64,473 (64 Thousands) (ii) Male: 33,123 (iii) Female: 31,350 (iv) Gender Ratio: 946 females per 1000 males (v) Population Growth: 6.30% (vi) Percentage of total population of the country: 0.01% (vii) Density: 2,149/sq. km. (viii) Rural Population: 14,141 (21.93%) (ix) Urban Population: 50,332 (78.07%) (Based on 2011 census) 7.2 Major Religion followers: (i) Hinduism: 1,788 (2.77%) (ii) Christianity: 317 (0.49%) (iii) Islam: 62,268 (96.58%) (iv) Jainism: 11 (0.02%) (v) Buddhism: 10 (0.02%) (vi) Sikhism: 8 (0.01%) (Based on 2011 census) |
| 8 Culture | 8.1 Major Festivals: (i) Bakrid (ii) Id-Ul-Fitr (iii) Muharram (iv) Milad-Un-Nabi 8.2 Folk Dance: (i) Kolkali (ii) Parichakali |
| 9 Education | 9.1 State Literacy Data: (i) Total: 52,553 (91.85%) (ii) Male: 28,023 (95.56%) (iii) Female: 24,530 (87.95%) 9.2 Major Universities: (i) Government Jawaharlal Nehru College, Lakshadweep (ii) Mahatma Gandhi College, Lakshadweep (iii) P. M. Sayeed Calicut University Centre, Andrott |
| 10 Tourism | 10.1 Tourism is a very important industry here and every year so many tourists come to Lakshadweep to enjoy the serenity of nature. 10.2 Major Tourist Spots: (i) Bangaram (ii) Agatti (iii) Kadmath (iv) Minicoy (v) Kalpeni (vi) Kavaratti |
| 11 Sports | 11.1 UT Game: Lakshadweep is famous for its water sports and it is a reason why so many people come to this UT every year to experience the sport culture. |
| 12 Governance & Administrative Divisions | 12.1 Administrative divisions: (i) Number of Districts: 1 (ii) Number of Subdivisions: 4 (iii) Number of Police Stations: 9 (iv) Number of Urban Towns: 11 (v) Number of Villages: 24 12.2 Official Languages: (i) Malayalam (ii) English (Based on census-2011) 12.3 Constituent Facts: (i) Number of Parliament seats: 1 (ii) Number of Gram Panchayats: 10 12.4 Administrator: Praful Khoda Patel First Administrator: U.R. Panicker (1956) 12.5 Member of Parliament: Mohammed Faizal P.P. First Member of Parliament: K. Nalla Koya Thangal (1957) 12.6 Judiciary: Kerala High Court was established on 1st November, 1956. The High Court of Kerala is the highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. (i) Number of Judges: 47 (ii) Judge Retirement Age: 62 |
| 13 Other Important facts | 13.1 UT Symbols: UT Bird: Brown noddy UT Fish: Butterfly Fish UT Tree: Bread Fruit |
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