Question

Which channel serves as the dividing line between the Lakshadweep Islands and the Maldives?

• A. Ten Degree Channel
• B. Eight Degree Channel
• C. Palk Strait
• D. Gulf of Mannar

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Eight Degree Channel

• The Eight Degree Channel (also known as 8 Degree Channel) is a water body that separates the islands of Minicoy (the southernmost island of Lakshadweep) from the Maldives.

• It is named after its latitude - approximately 8 degrees north of the equator.

• The Eight Degree Channel is approximately 120 km wide and is an important sea route for maritime trade between the west coast of India and countries in the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and beyond.

• Lakshadweep is India's smallest union territory consisting of 36 islands, with only 10 of them inhabited.

• Minicoy Island, which lies just north of the Eight Degree Channel, has a culture that shares similarities with both India and the Maldives.

• The Nine Degree Channel is another important channel in this region, which separates Minicoy Island from the main Lakshadweep archipelago.