Indian Islands
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Indian Islands
• The major islands groups of India are Andaman and Nicobar
Archipelago (A chain of islands similar in origin) in Bay of Bengal
and Lakshadweep islands in Arabian Sea.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands were formed due to collision
between Indian Plate and Burma Minor Plate [part of
Eurasian Plate][Similar to formation of Himalayas].
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands are southward extension
of Arakan Yoma range [Myanmar][Arakan Yoma in itself is an
extension of Purvanchal Hills]
• Lakshadweep Islands are coral islands. These islands are a
part Reunion Hotspot volcanism. [Both these concepts are
explained in previous posts]
• Other than these two groups there are islands in Indo-Gangetic
. [they are more a part of delta than islands] and between
Delta
India and Sri Lanka [Remnants of Adams Bridge or Rama’s
Bridge or Rama Setu; formed due to submergence].
Andaman & Nicobar
• This archipelago is composed of 265 big and small islands [203
Andaman islands + 62 Nicobar Islands][Numbers are just for
understanding. You need not remember trivial facts].
• The Andaman and Nicobar islands extend from 6° 45′ N to 13°
45′ N and from 92° 10′ E to 94° 15′ E for a distance of about
590 Km
• The Andaman islands are divided into three main islands
i.e. North, Middle and South.
• Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South
Andaman.
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• The Great Andaman group of islands in the north is separated
by the Ten Degree Channel from the Nicobar group in the
south
• Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands lies in the
South Andaman.
• Among the Nicobar islands, the Great Nicobar is the largest. It
is the southernmost island and is very close to Sumatra island
of Indonesia. The Car Nicobar is the northernmost.
• Most of these islands are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone
and shale resting on basic and ultrabasic volcanoes [Similar to
Himalayas].
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• THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port
Blair, are volcanic islands(There are no active volcanoes in
main land India)
• Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs. Many of them
are covered with thick forests. Most of the islands are
mountainous.
• Saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.
Lakshadweep Islands
• In the Arabian Sea, there are three types of islands.
1.Amindivi Islands (consisting of six main islands of Amini, Keltan,
Chetlat, Kadmat, Bitra and Perumul Par). [don’t have to remember all
these names]
2.Laccadive Islands (consisting of five major islands of Androth,
Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Pitti and Suheli Par) and
3.Minicoy Island.
• At present these islands are collectively known as Lakshadweep.
• The Lakshadweep Islands are a group of 25 small islands.
• They are widely scattered about 200-500 km south-west of the Kerala
coast.
• Amendivi Islands are the northern most while the Minicoy island is
the southernmost.
• All are tiny islands of coral origin {Atoll} and are
• surrounded by fringing reefs.
. largest and the most advanced is the Minicoy island with an
• The
area of 4.53 sq km
• Most of the islands have low elevation and do not rise more than
five metre above sea level (Extremely Vulnerable to sea level
change).
• Their topography is flat and relief features such as hills, streams,
valleys, etc. are absent.
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•.
New Moore Island
• It is a small uninhabited offshore sandbar landform {Marine
Landforms} in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Ganges-
Brahmaputra Delta region.
• It emerged in the Bay of Bengal in the aftermath of the Bhola
cyclone in 1970. It keeps on emerging and disappearing.
• Although the island was uninhabited and there were no permanent
settlements or stations located on it, both India and Bangladesh
claimed sovereignty over it because of speculation over the
existence of oil and natural gas in the region.
• The issue of sovereignty was also a part of the larger dispute over
the Radcliffe Award methodology of settling the maritim
e boundary between the two nations.
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•.
Wheeler Island
• Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, is an
island off the coast of Odisha.
• The island was renamed to honour the late President Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam and also to encourage the youth to pursue a scientific
temperament.
• It is the only place in India that has an integrated test range
maintaining a missile testing facility, which is located on this island.
• All indigenous missiles, like Akash missile, Agni missile, Prithvi
Missile etc. are tested from here.
• The island is 2 km long, having an area of 390 acres, and is basically
a soil formation without rocks in the Bay of Bengal.
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