IndianTimeline

Union Territory of India

Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep is India's smallest Union Territory — a scattering of 36 coral islands in the Arabian Sea off Kerala, of which ten are inhabited. About 64,000 people live here, the fewest of any Indian state or UT, on turquoise lagoons ringed by India's only coral atolls. The name means "a hundred thousand islands."

Capital Kavaratti · A Union Territory since 1956 (renamed Lakshadweep in 1973)

  • India's smallest UT — by area and population
  • 36 coral islands; 10 inhabited
  • India's only coral atolls
  • Turquoise lagoons & coral reefs
  • Coconut, tuna & pole-and-line fishing
  • Reached only by air or sea from Kochi
Tap an island to highlight it

An illustrative plot of the ten inhabited islands by their position in the Arabian Sea (north at top) — a reference, not an official survey map.

The Basics

Lakshadweep at a Glance

Lakshadweep is India's smallest Union Territory — an archipelago of 36 coral islands scattered across the Arabian Sea off the Kerala coast. Ten are inhabited. The islands are India's only coral atolls, ringed by shallow turquoise lagoons.

  • Kavaratti Capital island and seat of the administration
  • 1956 Formed as a UT (the "Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivi Islands"); renamed Lakshadweep in 1973
  • 32 km² Total land area — India's smallest Union Territory
  • 36 islands Of which 10 are inhabited; the rest are uninhabited islets, reefs & banks
  • One district The whole Union Territory is a single district
  • Malayalam & Mahl Malayalam (Jeseri) on most islands; Mahl (Dhivehi) on Minicoy; English official
  • Governance Run by an Administrator; no Legislative Assembly; 1 Lok Sabha seat
  • Coral atolls India's only coral-atoll islands, ~200–440 km off the Kerala coast
  • The channels The Nine Degree Channel, and the Eight Degree Channel toward the Maldives
  • Low-lying Coral islands only a few metres above the sea

People

Population & Society

Lakshadweep has the smallest population of any Indian state or Union Territory — almost entirely Muslim, and recognised as Scheduled Tribes. Figures here are from the 2011 Census.

  • 64,473 Population, 2011 — the smallest of any State or Union Territory
  • ~2,000 /km² Population density — high, because the land area is so tiny
  • 91.8% Literacy rate, 2011 — among India's highest
  • ~95% Scheduled Tribes — the indigenous islanders
  • ~97% Muslim The faith of almost all islanders (mostly Sunni) — Census 2011
  • 946 Sex ratio — females per 1,000 males, 2011
  • Languages Malayalam (Jeseri) on most islands; Mahl (Dhivehi) on Minicoy, with Maldivian ties
  • Permit needed Visitors who are not residents require an entry permit

Economy

Coconut, Tuna & Lagoons

With almost no industry, Lakshadweep's tiny economy rests on the coconut palm, tuna fishing and a small but growing tourism trade — and leans heavily on central support.

  • Coconut The main (and almost only) crop — among India's highest coconut yields; copra & coir
  • Tuna The mainstay of fishing, caught sustainably by traditional pole-and-line
  • Mas / Masmin The signature cooked-and-smoke-dried tuna of the islands
  • Tourism Small but growing — lagoons, diving and resorts, with an entry permit

Sea & support

  • Pole-and-line India's only pole-and-line tuna fishery, prized for its sustainability
  • Organic Declared India's first 100% organic farming territory
  • Coir & craft Coconut-fibre coir, and coral-stone carving
  • Centre-funded As a small UT, Lakshadweep depends heavily on central grants
  • No published GSDP: Lakshadweep does not prepare a state-style GSDP series, so we don't show one.
  • Figures here are from the Lakshadweep administration and central data — coconut, fisheries and tourism are the mainstays.

Agriculture

The Coconut Economy

On these coral islands, where soil is thin and rice must be shipped in, the coconut palm is everything — food, oil, fibre and trade — alongside the sea's tuna.

  • Coconut The principal crop — Lakshadweep records among India's highest coconut yields
  • Copra & oil Dried kernel pressed for coconut oil, the main produce
  • Coir Coconut-fibre yarn and products, a cottage industry
  • Tuna Skipjack tuna, the islands' great marine harvest
  • Mas / Masmin Smoke-dried tuna, a traditional preserved food and export
  • Organic India's first UT declared 100% organic in farming
  • Imported staples Rice and most other foods come by ship from the mainland

The Archipelago

The Ten Inhabited Islands

Lakshadweep is a single district, so there are no sub-districts — instead, here are its ten inhabited islands, from Chetlat in the north to Minicoy in the far south. Select one to highlight it on the map above.

    The map and this list share the same data. Of the 36 islands, only these ten are inhabited; the rest are uninhabited islets, reefs and submerged banks.

    What Makes Lakshadweep Unique

    Strengths, Heritage & Nature

    Lakshadweep's treasure is its sea — India's only coral atolls, turquoise lagoons teeming with reef life, seabird islets and a singular island culture.

    Heritage

    • Minicoy Lighthouse The historic British-era lighthouse (1885) on the southernmost island
    • Ujra Mosque Kavaratti's ornate old mosque, with its finely carved ceiling
    • Andrott The largest island and, by tradition, the first to embrace Islam
    • Minicoy (Maliku) The southernmost island, with a distinct Mahl culture linked to the Maldives

    Nature

    • Coral atolls India's only coral atolls, ringed by shallow turquoise lagoons
    • Reef life Coral gardens, 600+ reef-fish species, rays and sea turtles
    • Pitti Sanctuary An uninhabited islet that is a key seabird nesting site (since 1962)
    • Bangaram The uninhabited resort atoll, encircled by a coral lagoon

    Culture & Traditions

    Lava, the Sea & the Coconut

    An Islamic island culture — Malayali-rooted on most islands and Maldivian-linked on Minicoy — known for the Lava dance, tuna-and-coconut cooking, and crafts of coir and coral stone.

    • Lava dance Minicoy's vibrant drum-and-costume dance
    • Kolkali & Parichakali The stick dance and the sword-and-shield dance of the other islands
    • Island cuisine Built on tuna and coconut — Mas, tuna curries and Mus Kavaab
    • Festivals The Islamic festivals — Eid, Milad-un-Nabi and Muharram
    • Mahl culture Minicoy's Maldivian-linked language and traditions, with matrilineal elements
    • Crafts Coir products and coral-stone carving

    Places to Visit

    Lagoons, Reefs & Resorts

    A permit-only paradise of turquoise water, Lakshadweep draws divers and beach-lovers to a handful of open islands — while much of the archipelago stays quietly off-limits.

    • Agatti The gateway island — the only airport, and a famous lagoon
    • Bangaram The resort atoll, ringed by a shallow coral lagoon
    • Kadmat A long lagoon and a noted diving island
    • Kavaratti The capital, with its marine aquarium and mosques
    • Minicoy The southern island of the lighthouse and the Lava dance
    • Diving Scuba, snorkelling, kayaking and glass-bottom boats over the reefs
    • Entry permit Non-residents need a permit; only select islands are open to visitors

    Air & Sea

    Reached by Air & Sea

    Far out in the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep is reached only by a single airport and by ship from Kochi — there is no railway — though a 2024 undersea cable finally brought fast internet to the islands.

    • Agatti Airport The only airport, with flights from Kochi (Cochin)
    • Ships from Kochi Passenger vessels link the islands to the mainland — a 14–18 hour voyage
    • Inter-island Boats and, in the monsoon, helicopters connect the islands
    • Undersea cable The Kochi–Lakshadweep submarine optical-fibre link brought fast internet in 2024
    • Fresh water Low-temperature desalination plants supply drinking water
    • Learning Higher education comes under Pondicherry University

    Voices & Heritage

    Names & Heritage

    A small population means few household names, but Lakshadweep's story runs from a founding legend and an early missionary to a long-serving parliamentarian.

    • P. M. Sayeed The long-serving MP for Lakshadweep — Deputy Speaker and a Union minister
    • Ubaidullah The Arab missionary to whom tradition credits the coming of Islam (~7th century)
    • Cheraman Perumal The Chera king of the islands' founding legend
    • The Mahls The people of Minicoy, whose language and culture link to the Maldives
    • The pole-and-line fishers The island fishers whose sustainable tuna fishery is unique in India
    • The coconut palm The "tree of life" at the heart of island livelihood

    Through the Ages

    A Short History of Lakshadweep

    From a legendary first landfall to an Arab missionary, coastal kingdoms and a Union Territory of India — a few of the milestones.

    Key milestones in the history of Lakshadweep, from legend to 2024.
    WhenMilestone
    By legendSettlers from the Malabar coast reach the islands in the age of Cheraman Perumal
    ~7th centuryTradition credits the missionary Ubaidullah with bringing Islam; the islanders become Muslim
    Before 1100The islands come under the Kolathiri (Chirakkal) rajas of the Malabar coast
    16th centuryThe Arakkal house (Ali Rajas) of Cannanore administers the islands
    1780sThe Amindivi islands pass to Tipu Sultan; the rest stay under Arakkal
    1799After Tipu's defeat, the Amindivi islands pass to the British
    1 Nov 1956The islands become a Union Territory — the "Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivi Islands"
    1973The Union Territory is renamed Lakshadweep
    2024An undersea optical-fibre cable brings high-speed internet to the islands

    Spotted an error, or know these islands well?

    This profile is compiled from Census 2011, the Lakshadweep administration, Lakshadweep Tourism and Britannica. If you find an inaccuracy or have a better source, tell us and we'll review and correct it.

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