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The channel that separates Minicoy Island (India) from the Maldives is the:
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Answer: Option B — Eight Degree Channel
Detailed Solution
The Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy Island, the southernmost island of India's Lakshadweep group, from the northern islands of the Maldives. It is named after the 8 degree North parallel of latitude, which runs close to it.
Location and features:
- It lies in the Arabian Sea (Laccadive Sea), between India's Minicoy Island and the Maldives' northernmost atolls, such as Ihavandhippolhu.
- It is about 150 to 160 km wide.
- It is one of the main sea routes between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, used by ships travelling between the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and East Asia.
- It also marks a maritime boundary between India and the Maldives.
Channels in the Lakshadweep area (north to south):
Nine Degree Channel: separates Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep group (Kalpeni and the other islands to the north). It is an important international shipping lane.
Eight Degree Channel: separates Minicoy from the Maldives.
About Minicoy:
Minicoy (Maliku in the local language) is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep.
It is culturally closer to the Maldives than to the rest of Lakshadweep. Its people speak Mahl, a dialect of Dhivehi, the language of the Maldives.
Strategic importance:
- These channels lie close to major international shipping routes, so the Indian Navy and Coast Guard keep a close watch on them, especially against piracy.
- India has set up the naval base INS Jatayu on Minicoy, commissioned in 2024.
About the Maldives:
- The Maldives is an island country of about 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls.
- Its capital is Male.
- It is the lowest-lying country in the world, with an average height of about 1.5 metres above sea level, making it very vulnerable to sea-level rise.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep islands.
- ✗The Ten Degree Channel and the Duncan Passage lie in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Quick tip
Remember: Eight Degree Channel = Minicoy (India) and Maldives; Nine Degree Channel = Minicoy and the main Lakshadweep group.
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Physical Features of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Physical Features of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's location and extent, its neighbours and boundary lines, and its physiographic divisions: the Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains and the islands, along with important mountain passes, peaks and hill ranges. Questions often ask which states the Tropic of Cancer passes through, the southernmost point of India (Indira Point), the highest peak in India (Kangchenjunga), and which pass connects which regions. India shares its longest land border with Bangladesh. Learning the Himalayan ranges from north to south (Himadri, Himachal and Shiwaliks) is also useful. Practise the physical features of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.