Here is your paragraph on Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands !
Apart from the large number of islands in the near proximity of the Indian coast, there are two main groups of islands in the Indian Ocean far away from the coast.
One of them is the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago in the Bay of Bengal and the other is a group of tiny islands known as the Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea.
These islands have gained much importance and their study has become almost indispensable in view of the increasing interest of super powers in the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean.
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The Andaman and Nicobar group of islands form an arcuate chain, convex to the west, extending from 6° 45′ N to 13° 45′ N and from 92° 10′ E to 94° 15′ E for a distance of about 590 km with a maximum width of about 58 km. This archipelago is composed of 265 big and small islands covering a cumulative area of about 8249 sq km.
The entire chain consists of two distinct groups of islands. The Great Andaman group of islands in the north is separated by the Ten Degree Channel from the Nicobar group in the south. The Andaman is a closely knit group of about 203 islands.
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It is 260 km long and 30 km wide with a total area of 6596 sq km. This group of islands is divided into three major group’s viz. North Andaman, Middle Andaman and South Andaman. Little Andaman is separated from the Great Anadmans by 50 km wide Duncan Passage.
The Nicobar group of islands consists of 7 big and 12 small islands together with several tiny islands. They are scattered over a length of 262 km with maximum width of 58 km covering an area of 1,653 sq km. The Great Nicobar, as its name suggests, is the largest island measuring 50 x 25 km. It is the southernmost island and is only 147 km away from Sumatra island of Indonesia.
Most of these islands are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone and shale resting on basic and ultrabasic volcanoes. The Barren and Narcondam islands, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands. Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs. Many of them are covered with thick forests and some are highly dissected. Most of the islands are mountainous and reach considerable heights. Saddle peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak.
The Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabnin Sea, though literally mean one lakh islands is only a group of 25 small islands. They are widely scattered over an area of 108.78 sq kms extending from 8° N to 12° 20′ N and 71° 45′ E to 74 °E about 200-500 km south-west of the Kerala coast.
The islands north of 11° N are known as Amendivi Islands while those souths of this latitude are called Cannanore Islands. In the extreme south is the Minicoy Island. All are tiny islands of coral origin and are surrounded by fringing reefs.
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The largest and the most advanced is the Minicoy Island with an area of 4.53 sq km. Betra has an area of only 0.12 sq km. Most of the islands have low elevation and do not rise more than five metre above sea level. Their topography is flat and relief features such as hills, streams, valleys, etc. are conspicuous by their absence. Shallow lagoons are seen on their western side, while on the eastern seaboard the slopes are steeper.