English: When viewed from space, the coral islands which make up Lakshadweep glow in the blue waters west of India like a precious beaded bracelet surrounded by deep blue linen. This archipelago of white-sand islands form the tiniest Union Territory of India, encompassing about 32 sq. km (12 sq. mi) of land across its thirty six islands, twelve atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks. If being completely surrounded by the Laccadive Sea were not watery enough, the atolls are notable for their large lagoons, which cover about 4200 sq. km (1600 sq. mi).

Lakshadweep sits between 8�-12� N and 71�-74� E, about 300 km (186 mi) off the coast of Kerala, India. Although the islands are not prohibitively far from the mainland in these days of modern travel, they remain relatively remote. Only 10 islands are inhabited, and they are connected to the mainland � and each other � primarily by ship. There is one airstrip for the islands, located on Agatti in the west of the archipelago.

The coral reefs surrounding the islands, and the living coral in the lagoons, provide a rich environment for marine life. Fishing is an important industry in Lakshadweep, although only Agatti and Minicoy (the most southern island) routinely harvest significant numbers of fish over what is needed to nourish the inhabitants. Agriculture, particularly coir (coconut fiber) and copra (coconut meat) is another important industry. Tourism is an industry that the government is currently carefully embracing. While interest in visiting the islands is strong, permission is required to visit, and tourism must go through the government�s Society for promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports (SPORTS).

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA�s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the beautiful archipelago of Lakshadweep on January 12, 2015.