Aminidivi or Amindivi Islands are an island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 subgroup in the Union Territory

Union Territory

A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...

 of Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is the northern group of the Lakshadweep, separated from the Laccadive Islands subgroup roughly by the 11th parallel north

11th parallel north

The 11th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 11 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Indian Ocean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean....

. The total land area of the group is 9.26 km².

The Aminidivi group forms a taluka or subdivision. The islands of Amini

Amini

Amini is a census town in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is also the name of the island where the town stands and of the atoll that contains that island.-The island:The island has a post office and a hospital...

, Kiltan

Kiltan

Kiltan Island is a coral island belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago in India. It is located 47 km to the northeast of Amini Island and 37 km to the southeast of Chetlat Island...

, Chetlat, Kadmat and Bitra

Bitra

Bitra or Bitrā Par is a coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, 33 km to the north of Perumal Par and 41 km to the southeast of Byramgore Reef...

 are inhabited. The population numbered 18,876 at the 2001 census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 and Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 is the main religion of the islanders.

Aminidivi has the highest recorded rainfall in India in a 24-hour period, at 1,168 mm on 2004-05-06.

Geographic features

Aminidivi consists of atoll

Atoll

An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...

s with islands, three reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

s or atolls with only unvegetated sand cay

Sand Cay

Sand Cay is an island in Spratly Islands of South China Sea. With an area of 7 hectares, it is the ninth largest island and the fourth largest Vietnamese-occupied island in the Spratly Islands. It lies 6 miles to the east of Itu Aba Island occupied by the Republic of China...

s above the high water mark

High water mark

High water mark may refer to:*Ordinary high water mark, a landscape marking such as floodwater staining left by the highest level of water...

, and four submerged banks

Bank (topography)

A bank, sometimes referred to as a fishing bank, is an area on the continental shelf which is shallow compared to its surrounding area, such as a shoal or the top of an underwater hill. Somewhat like continental slopes, ocean banks slopes can upwell as tidal and other flows intercept them,...

. In addition, there is the island that gives its name to the group, Amini

Amini

Amini is a census town in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is also the name of the island where the town stands and of the atoll that contains that island.-The island:The island has a post office and a hospital...

, which is located at 11°06′N 72°45′E at the northwestern end of Pitti Bank, a largely sunken atoll.

Atoll Atoll An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED... /Reef Reef In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water .... /Bank Bank (topography) A bank, sometimes referred to as a fishing bank, is an area on the continental shelf which is shallow compared to its surrounding area, such as a shoal or the top of an underwater hill. Somewhat like continental slopes, ocean banks slopes can upwell as tidal and other flows intercept them,... (alternate name)	type	Land Area (km²)	Lagoon Lagoon A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,... Area (km²)	No. of islets	Pop. Census Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common... 2001	Location Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
Amindivi Islands
Cora Divh Cora Divh Cora Divh, also called Coradeeve or Little Bassas de Pedro Bank , is a submerged bank or sunken atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is the third largest feature of Lakshadweep, after Bassas de Pedro and Sesostris Bank, with a lagoon...	bank	-	339.45	-	-	13°42′N 72°11′E
Sesostris Bank Sesostris Bank Sesostris Bank is a submerged bank or sunken atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India, at . It is the second largest feature of Lakshadweep, after Bassas de Pedro, with a lagoon area of 388.53 km². It is also one of the northernmost...	bank	-	388.53	-	-	13°08′N 72°00′E
Bassas de Pedro Bassas de Pedro Bassas de Pedro, also known as Munyal Par or Padua Bank, is a submerged bank or sunken atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India, at .... (Munyal Par, Padua Bank)	bank	-	2474.33	-	-	13°07′N 72°25′E
Cherbaniani Reef Cherbaniani Reef Cherbaniani Reef, also known as Beleapani Reef , is a coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is the northwesternmost feature of Lakshadweep at . It is located 33 km north of Byramgore Reef...  (Beleapani Reef)	reef	0.01	172.59	2	-	12°18′N 71°53′E
Byramgore Reef Byramgore Reef Byramgore Reef, also known as Chereapani Reef , is a coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is located 33 km south of Cherbaniani Reef and 41 km to the northwest of Bitrā Par, in the northwestern area of Lakshadweep at . The whole...  (Chereapani)	reef	0.01	57.46	1	-	11°54′N 71°49′E
Chetlat Island Chetlat Island Chetlat Island is a coral island belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago in India. It is located 37 km to the northwest of Kiltan Island...	atoll	1.14	1.60	1	2289	11°42′N 72°42′E
Bitrā Island Bitra Bitra or Bitrā Par is a coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, 33 km to the north of Perumal Par and 41 km to the southeast of Byramgore Reef...	atoll	0.10	45.61	2	264	11°33′N 72°09′E
Kiltān Island Kiltan Kiltan Island is a coral island belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago in India. It is located 47 km to the northeast of Amini Island and 37 km to the southeast of Chetlat Island...	atoll	2.20	1.76	1	3664	11°29′N 73°00′E
Kadmat Island Kadmat Island Kadmat Island, also known as Cardamom Island, is an island belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago in India.-Geography:...  (Cardamom)	atoll	3.20	37.50	1	5319	11°14′N 72°47′E
Elikalpeni Bank Elikalpeni Bank Elikalpeni Bank is a submerged bank or sunken atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India.It has a minimum depth of 10.4 m and is located 57 km northeast of Androth at ....	bank	-	95.91	-	-	11°12′N 73°58′E
Perumal Par Perumal Par Perumal Par, also known as Peremul Par, is an uninhabited coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is located at , 33 km south of Bitra Par and 25 km to the northwest of Bangaram Atoll....	reef	0.01	83.02	1	-	11°10′N 72°04′E
Amini Island 1)	atoll	2.59	155.09 1)	1	7340	11°06′N 72°45′E

History

The islands were inhabited from ancient times, mostly of people of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 descent and later Arab

Arab

Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

 descent. Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...

 visited these islands around 1498.
The Amindivi group of islands came under the rule of Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...

 in 1787. They came under British

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 rule after the Third Anglo-Mysore War

Third Anglo-Mysore War

The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...

 and were attached to South Canara

Dakshina Kannada

- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...

in 1799.