India's two island groups — the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea — are tested extensively in UPSC for their geography, tribal communities, biodiversity, and strategic significance. Key distinctions: Andaman islands are tectonic/volcanic in origin; Lakshadweep islands are coral atolls. India's southernmost point (Indira Point) is on Great Nicobar, not Kanyakumari — a classic UPSC trap.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an archipelago of 572 islands, islets, and rocks in the Bay of Bengal (only 38 permanently inhabited). They are geologically tectonic islands — part of the outer arc of the Indonesian volcanic arc system. The capital is Port Blair (also referred to as Sri Vijaya Puram).

Strategic significance: Close to Malacca Strait; Great Nicobar is near the shipping lane connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

Island / Feature Type Key Facts
North Andaman Main island Saddle Peak NP (highest point in A&N, 732 m); Diglipur town; diving sites
Middle Andaman Main island Baratang Island nearby — limestone caves, mud volcanoes, Jarawa TR corridor
South Andaman Main island Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram); Cellular Jail (Kala Pani); Ross Island (now renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island) — former British HQ
Neil Island Island Renamed Shaheed Dweep; coral beaches
Havelock Island Island Renamed Swaraj Dweep; most popular tourist island; Radhanagar Beach
North Sentinel Island Northernmost Andaman Home of the Sentinelese; Prohibited area; uncontacted tribe; ~50-400 estimated population; no access permitted
Barren Island Active Volcano Only confirmed active volcano in South Asia / Indian subcontinent; ~138 km northeast of Port Blair; intermittent Strombolian eruptions since 1991; active in 2024 (ash plumes March–April 2024) and 2025 (eruptions July, September, October 2025 — ash plume reached ~3,000 m in October 2025); caldera ~2 km wide; 354 m high
Narcondam Island Dormant Volcano Small island; 710 m peak; Narcondam Hornbill (endemic bird); no historical eruption recorded; dormant
Little Andaman Southern island Onge Tribal Reserve; Onge PVTG; limited access
Car Nicobar Nicobar Group Northernmost Nicobar island; Indian Air Force base (strategic)
Great Nicobar Island Southernmost island India's southernmost point (Pygmalion Point / Indira Point — tip is at ~6°N); Campbell Bay NP; Galathea Bay NP (Leatherback Turtle nesting); Shompen PVTG; Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO); Holistic Development Project (₹81,000 crore; developed by ANIIDCO) — International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT, Phase 1 target: 4 million TEUs by 2028), dual-use civil-military airport, township, and power plant; NGT gave final approval February 2026 dismissing petitions; no ground construction started as of early 2026; NTPC invited bids for 5 MW solar power project in April 2025
Indira Point Geographic point Southernmost point of India (6°4'N); submerged partially during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
Baratang Island Middle Andaman Limestone caves; mud volcanoes; Jarawa Tribal Reserve on Andaman Trunk Road passage

Tribal Communities of Andaman and Nicobar

Tribe Island Status
Sentinelese North Sentinel Island Uncontacted; prohibited area
Jarawa Middle and South Andaman PVTG; restricted contact; ~300-400 individuals
Onge Little Andaman PVTG; partially settled; ~100 individuals
Great Andamanese Strait Island (relocated) PVTG; ~50-60 individuals; most endangered tribal group
Shompen Great Nicobar PVTG; semi-nomadic; ~200-300 individuals
Nicobarese Various Nicobar islands Mongoloid origin; partly Christianised; larger population (~30,000); Car Nicobar and Nancowry main islands

Lakshadweep Islands

Lakshadweep consists of 36 islands (of which 11 are inhabited), coral atolls, and reefs in the Arabian Sea. Total area: 32 sq km — smallest UT in India. Capital: Kavaratti. Nearest mainland point: Kerala coast (~300 km).

These are coral islands (atolls) — formed atop submerged volcanic platforms. Not volcanic — unlike Andaman. The local population is almost entirely Muslim and speaks Malayalam.

Island Features Key Facts
Kavaratti Capital island Administrative capital; Ujra Mosque; water desalination; government offices
Agatti Has the only airport Entry point for tourists; Agatti Airport (ATQ); coral reef around it
Bangaram Uninhabited (tourism) Luxury resort island; no permanent inhabitants; coral lagoon
Minicoy (Maliku) Southernmost island Unique culture; dialect (Mahl, related to Maldivian Dhivehi, not Malayalam); lighthouse; Tuna fishery — major occupation; matrilineal society
Andrott Largest island Largest by area in Lakshadweep; most populated; no tourism resort
Amini — Dense coconut groves; copra production
Kalpeni — Tipped with sand cays; three small islets nearby; coral lagoon

Key features of Lakshadweep:

  • All islands are coral atolls (no volcanic/tectonic origin — unlike Andaman)
  • Tuna fishery (Skipjack tuna) is major economic activity; India's only source of tuna
  • Copra (dried coconut) production; major coir industry
  • Lakshadweep Sea = part of Arabian Sea between Lakshadweep and Kerala
  • Brought under central administration 1956 (reorganisation of states)
  • Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR) 2021 caused controversy — fears of land acquisition; protests

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