Structure and Physiography | Class 11 Geography Notes

Islands of India

India has two major groups of islands: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands consist of about 572 islands and islets located roughly between 6°N to 14°N latitude and 92°E to 94°E longitude. They are divided into two groups separated by the Ten Degree Channel: the Andaman Islands in the north and the Nicobar Islands in the south. These islands are believed to be an elevated portion of submarine mountains, with some smaller islands of volcanic origin. Barren Island, located in the Andaman group, is the only active volcano in India. Important peaks include Saddle Peak (738 m) in North Andaman, Mount Diavolo (515 m) in Middle Andaman, Mount Koyob (460 m) in South Andaman, and Mount Thuiller (642 m) in Great Nicobar. The islands have coral deposits and equatorial type vegetation, receiving convectional rainfall. The Lakshadweep Islands are scattered between 8°N to 12°N latitude and 71°E to 74°E longitude, located 220 to 440 km off the Kerala coast. These 36 islands are coral atolls, with 11 inhabited islands. Minicoy is the largest island with an area of 453 sq.km. The group is divided by the Nine Degree Channel, with Amini Island to the north and Canannore Island to the south. The islands have storm beaches made of pebbles, shingles, cobbles, and boulders on the eastern side.

📊 Diagram: Figure 2.8: An Island

🧪 Activity: Identify the location of island groups on the map and study their climatic and ecological significance.

🔗 Connection: Concludes the chapter with exercises and project activities for revision.