RAS question
Lakshadweep islands are:
Correct answer: (D) Coral islands (atolls) in the Arabian Sea.
Lakshadweep is a group of coral islands and atolls in the Arabian Sea.
Explanation
Lakshadweep is classified as a coral-island group because the official Lakshadweep Administration page describes it as an archipelago made up of atolls, reefs and submerged banks, with an area of 32 sq km and ten inhabited islands. The group consists of 36 coral islands or atolls in the Arabian Sea, with Kavaratti as the capital and the islands sitting on the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge. Lakshadweep's island type is defined by coral reef and atoll features, not by continental, tectonic or volcanic origin.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Continental islands are ruled out because Lakshadweep is an archipelago of atolls, reefs and submerged banks, and is classified as coral islands.
- (B) Tectonic islands do not match Lakshadweep's classification as coral islands and atolls rather than islands formed by tectonic processes.
- (C) Volcanic islands are ruled out because Lakshadweep consists of coral islands or atolls, not volcanic islands.
Concept
RAS physical geography requires classification of Indian island groups by origin and form. Lakshadweep belongs to the coral-atoll category, while continental, tectonic and volcanic islands follow different formation patterns.