The two groups of islands which are part of the Indian Union are the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie to the southeast of Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal.
The Lakshadweep Islands lie in the Arabian Sea to the southwest of India’* mainland, close to the Malabar Coast of Kerala.
The Andaman and Nicobars are formed of the Great Andamans and the Little Andamans in the north and Nicobar Islands in the south. They are groups of numerous big and small islands. The southernmost point of the Indian Union is located in one of these Islands. These islands are of great strategic importance to India. They lie close to the equator and have equatorial climate. They lie along the trans-Indian Ocean route and close to the south and Southeast Asia. Port Blair is the official headquarters of Andaman and Nicobar. The Lakshadweep Islands are a group of small coral islands lying close to the southern section of the west coast of India. In 1973 the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive Islands were renamed as Lakshadweep. It covers a small area of 32 sq. km. Kavaratti Island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep. Both the group of islands are rich in flora and fauna and natural beauty, enhancing India’* geographical entity.
