Annual Plan 2003-2004 Administration of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep

Abstract

The Union Territory of Lakshadweep consists of 27 coral islands lying scattered in the Arabian Sea between 8°-12°13’ North latitude and 71°-74° East longitude, 220-440 Kms from the West coast of Kerala. Only 10 of these islands are inhabited. In addition, there are 3 reefs and 6 submerged banks. The area of the inhabited islands varies from 0.1 Sq.km, to 4.8 Sq.km. The a distance between the inhabited islands varies from 11 Km to 378 Km. There are several peculiar features in the Union Territory. The fragile ecology of the coral atolls made environmental compatibility, the over riding consideration in planning.