Laccadive << LAK uh `dyv` >> Islands are a group of tiny coral islands off the southwestern coast of India. They occupy about 7 square miles (18 square kilometers) in the Arabian Sea and are part of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, formerly known as Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands Territory. The Union Territory covers about 12 square miles (32 square kilometers) and has a population of about 64,000. Most of the people in the territory live on the Laccadive Islands. The rest inhabit the Amindivi Islands.
Most of the islanders speak the Malayalam language, but they descend from various Arab tribes. The women make an elastic fiber called coir from coconut husks. Coir is used in the manufacture of matting. The men build boats and trade on the mainland. They exchange their copra and coconut fiber chiefly for rice, their principal food.
