Lakshadweep is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian sea, located 200 to 440 km (120 to 270 mi) off of Malabar Coast. 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. Malayalam is official as well as the widely spoken native language in the territory. The islands form the smallest union territory of India and their total surface area is just 32 km2 (12 sq mi). The lagoon area covers about 4,200 km2 (1,600 sq mi), the territorial waters area 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi) and the exclusive economic zone area 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi). The region forms a single Indian district with 10 subdivisions. Kavaratti serves as the capital of the Union Territory and the region comes under the jurisdiction of Kerala High Court. The islands are the northernmost of the Lakshadweep–Maldives–Chagos group of islands, which are the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, the Chagos-Lakshadweep Ridge. The Lakshadweep originally consisted of 36 islands; however, due to the Parali island being submerged in water due to sea erosion, 35 islands remain.

Arjun Julian

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