Many parts of the Indian coastal plains have rich fertile soil on which, apart from rice, a large variety of crops are grown. A coconut tree grows all along the coast.
i. A large number of big and small ports have been developed all along the coastal areas. These ports play an important role in the growth of national and international trade.
ii. Some areas along the coastal plain have deposits of mineral oil.
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iii. The sands along the coast of Kerala have large reserves of monazite, which is used for producing nuclear power.
iv. Low-lying marshy regions of Gujarat are known for producing common salt.
v. Fishing is also an important economic activity of the people living in the coastal areas.
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The Indian Islands:
There are two main groups of islands in the Indian Ocean. They are located far away from the coast of the Indian mainland. The Andaman and Nicobar group is in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.
The Andaman and Nicobar Group of islands is situated between 6 °N to 14 °N latitudes and between 90 °E to 94 °E longitudes. It consists of about 572 big, small and tiny islands, out of which only 38 are inhabited. This group is about 1255 km from Kolkata and about 1190 km from Chennai.
The total area is about 8249 sq km. The Andaman group is separated from the Nicobar group by the Ten Degree Channel, about 121 km wide. The north-south extent is about 590 km and the maximum width is about 58 km. The extreme southernmost point is the Indira Point.
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The Andaman is a closely knit group of islands in which only 25 islands are inhabited. In the Nicobar group only 13 islands are inhabited. Most of the islands are made up of sandstone, limestone and shale. Most of them are of volcanic origin, and some are fringed with coral reefs.
The islands are mountainous, with maximum elevation at Saddle Peak (about 750 metres). The climate is hot and humid and the area is covered with thick forests and coconut groves.
The Lakshadweep group of Islands is located in the Arabian Sea and has only 27 islands, out of which only 11 are inhabited. The Laccadives, Minicoy and Aminidivi group of islands were renamed as Lakshadweep (literally means one lakh islands) in 1973.
This island group is widely scattered over an area of about 110 sq. km. Lakshadweep is located about 200 to 500 km southwest of the Kerala coast. These islands are of coral origin.
Minicoy Island is the largest and most advanced in the group. The reef deposits have formed shallow lagoons, especially on the western side. Most of these islands have low elevations. The relief features like hills, streams and valleys are absent on these islands.