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Lakshadweep archipelago appears small yet it forms a sparkling diamond- and emerald-studded jewel adorning India's southwestern frontier. It is one of the few marvels in India with a natural beauty due to the absence of industrialization and progress at these islands.
The white sandy beaches, the lagoons that wash its shores with the coral reefs, which enclose it, and finally the deep blue sea are symbiotically linked with each other. And, when all these are added up in the territory, Lakshadweep becomes the largest of India's territories!
Topography
While the total area of the 35 islands is a mere 32 sq km and the area of the lagoons enclosed by the coral reef about 700 sq km, the extended sea zone comes out to be over 7,00,000 sq km! This is almost the size of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh put together! Out of the 12 atolls with 35 islands, only one island in each of them is inhabited.
Flora and Fauna
Though the islands are lush green like coconut gardens, the calcareous soil of these islets permits only those vegetation species to survive that are able to draw nitrogen from the atmosphere. Only the plants with long and deep roots can have any chance of survival. This is the main cause for the development of limited vegetation species on the island. The fauna too is restricted to a few insects, scorpions, centipedes, and crabs as also a few kinds of skunks and geckos.
Explore the Sea
The main attraction here in the island is not the rich and varied flora and fauna, but the underwater zone that acquires colour with the changing shade of the sky. The major formations in the underwater sea are the lagoons and the coral leaf, which constitute the rich fertile soil found abundantly on the island. Coral reefs and lagoons shelter the most complex and organized community of living aquatic creatures.
Lakshadweep coral reefs abound in more than a 1000 species of fish, all dazzling in color and weird in pattern and shape. The visitors can enjoy the diving in the deep waters of the sea. Seashells are the must visits for the visitors. Trapped between the tides, the visitors can take a view of bottom dwelling marine invertebrates like sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers.
How To Reach Lakshadweep
Cochin in the state of Kerala is the ideal point to head on towards Lakshadweep. The only mode of transportation is the ships with fixed departure dates and timings. Cochin is just 200 miles away from Lakshadweep.
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