Which of the following islands are made of small coral atolls and reefs in the Arabian Sea ?

The Lakshadweep Islands, located in the Arabian Sea off the southwestern coast of India, are the only atoll coral island chain in the country. These islands are primarily coral formations built upon the Chagos-Maldive-Laccadive Ridge, a submerged volcanic feature. Unlike the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, which are largely tectonic and volcanic extensions of the Arakan Yoma mountains [1], Lakshadweep consists of 36 to 39 small islands, islets, and reefs characterized by low-lying atolls enclosing central lagoons. These atolls are formed by the perpetual deposition of calcium carbonate by coral polyps in shallow, warm waters [3]. While the Maldives also consist of coral atolls in the same ridge system, Lakshadweep is the specific Indian territory in the Arabian Sea defined by these small coral atolls and reefs.

Sources

1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > THE INDIAN ISLANDS > p. 66
2. [3] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Physical Features of India > Corals > p. 14