Page 26 - Arrow Publications Pvt. Ltd.

2. Lakshadweep
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

Lakshadweep is an archipelago, located 200-
400km west of the coast of Kerala in the Arabian
Sea. The archipelago consists of 36 main islands
and many smaller islands, coral atolls and coral
reefs. It is the smallest union territory in India.

Lakshadweep means ‘a hundred thousand islands’
in the local language, Malayalam. Only ten of the
Lakshadweep islands are inhabited and more
than 90 percent of the indigenous population are
Muslims.

The main economic activities are fishing, coconut cultivation and coir twisting. Tourism is an
emerging industry. Tourists require an entry permit to visit Lakshadweep; the permit is issued
in Kochi (Kerala). Foreign nationals are allowed only in Kadmat, Bangaram and Agatti Islands.
Coconut is the main crop cultivated on the island. Lakshadweep is India’s largest producer of

coconuts. About 2,598 hectares are under coconut cultivation and the productivity per hectare is
22,310. Coconuts cultivated in Lakshadweep are also rich in coconut oil.

1. Where is Lakshadweep located?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What does this archipelago consist of?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What does ‘Lakshadweep’ mean?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the main economic activities of Lakshadweep?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the main crop in Lakshadweep?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arrow - English Plus-8 24