Geography of The Laccadive Islands
Laccadive Islands, or Cannanore Islands, a group of small coral islands and many reefs in the Arabian Sea, some 150 to 250 miles (240 to 400 km) west of the southwestern coast of India. Together with Minicoy Island, to the south, and the Amindivi Islands, to the north, they make up a union territory of India named Lakshadweep. Most of the islanders are Muslims and live by fishing and coconut farming. The population of the union territory in 1991 was 51,707.
The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered the Laccadives in 1498. They were under British rule from 1792 to 1947.