The Laccadive Islands, renamed Lakshadweep in 1973, are located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala, some 200 to 300 kms away and consists of 36 coral islands covering a land area of 32 sq. kms. Only ten of these islands are inhabited. They are in descending order of size - Minicoy, Andrott, Kavaratti, Kadmat, Agatti, Amini, Kalpeni, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra. The main islands are Kavaratti, Minicoy, and Amini. The total population is about 51,000. The historical record shows that around the 7th century a Muslim saint was shipwrecked on the island of Amini. The inhabitants were converted to Islam despite initial opposition. Although the sovereignty remained in the hands of the Hindu Raja of Chirakkal, it eventually passed to the Ali Raja of Cannanore (Kannur) in the 16th century - the only Muslim royal family of Kerala, and later in 1783 to Tipu Sultan. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan at the battle of Srirangapatnam in 1799 to the British, the Lakshadweep were annexed by the East India Company. The islands form the smallest of Indian Union Territories and was constituted in 1956.
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