Relief, soils, and climate :
The islands of Lakshadweep are small, none exceeding 1 mile (1.6 km) in breadth; the Amindivis are the northernmost islands of the group, and Minicoy Island is the southernmost island. Almost all the inhabited islands are coral atolls. The higher eastern sides of the islands are the most suited for human habitation, while the low-lying lagoons on the western sides protect the inhabitants from the southwest monsoon. The soils of Lakshadweep are generally sandy, derived from the coral.
Throughout the year, temperatures in Lakshadweep generally range from about 70 °F (about 20 °C) to nearly 90 °F (about 32 °C). Cyclones moving across the Arabian Sea rarely strike the islands. However, the winds and waves associated with them can alter the land features considerably.
Plant and animal life
Aside from an abundance of coconut palms, common trees include banyans, casuarinas, pandani (screw pines), breadfruits, tamarinds, and tropical almonds (genus Terminalia). Betel nut and betel leaf also grow in the islands. Among the most notable marine fauna are sharks, bonitos, tunas, snappers, and flying fish. Manta rays, octopuses, crabs, turtles, and assorted gastropods are plentiful. The islands also are home to an array of water birds, such as herons, teals, and gulls.
People
With the exception of the peoples of Minicoy (whose cultures bear some affinity with those of the Maldive Islands to the south), most people of Lakshadweep are descendants of migrants from the Malabar Coast of southwest India, who had arrived in the islands sometime before the 7th century CE. After becoming established in the islands, these migrant communities (or their offspring) converted to Islam. Although Islam is the predominant religion in contemporary Lakshadweep, vestiges of the religious and social orientation of the original Hindu migrants are evident in the existence of a matrilineal kinship system and castelike social groups.
Most of the Lakshadweep islanders speak Malayalam. Mahi (or Mahl), which is akin to old Sinhalese, is spoken on Minicoy, however. Some people also speak Hindi. The population is concentrated mostly on the islands of Andrott, Kavaratti, Minicoy, and Amini.
