The major Indian Islands are Andaman and Nicobar Archipelagoin 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].
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands are southward extension of Arakan Yomarange [Myanmar]
- Lakshadweep Islands are coral islands. These islands are a part Reunion Hotspot volcanism. ].
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- This archipelago is composed of 265 big and small islands [203 Andaman islands + 62Nicobar Islands]
- The Andaman islands are divided into three main islands i.e. North, Middle and South.
- Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South Andaman.
- 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].
- THE BARREN AND NARCONDAM ISLANDS, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands [these are the only volcanoes in India][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.
Lakshadweep Islands
- In the Arabian Sea, there are three types of islands.
- Amindivi Islands
- Laccadive Islands
- 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.
- Most of the islands have low elevation and do not rise more than five metreabove sea level Their topography is flat and relief features such as hills, streams, valleys, etc.are absent.
Read More : Types of Islands
