Question

Answer the following question briefly.
Why is Lakshadweep known as coral island?

Answer 1

Hint: A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. They are usually part of coral reefs, and occur in sub tropical regions.

Complete Answer:
Let us recall some information about Lakshadweep. Lakshadweep is an Indian union territory comprising twelve atolls in the Arabian Sea, having Kavaratti as its capital. It is an archipelago (a group of many islands in a large body of water). There are a total of thirty six islands in Lakshadweep, and the total population is close to sixty five thousand. They are also coral islands.
Now, let us understand why Lakshadweep is known as a group of coral islands.
For that, we need to know what coral is first. Coral is a marine colonial polyp characterized by a calcareous skeleton; masses in a variety of shapes often forming reefs.
Thus, it is said that Lakshadweep is formed from the skeletons of these polyps, called corals.
These coral islands were formed due to the accumulation of corals on the volcanic tops of the ridge of the Indian Ocean, which then sank below the surface many millions of years ago supposedly because of a rise in sea levels.

Note: Ten of the Lakshadweep islands are inhabited. Kavaratti is the administrative centre and capital of these islands. Lakshadweep;s etymology sources from Sanskrit and Malayalam, literally translating to a ‘hundred thousand islands’. The language used here is also predominantly Malayalam.