The Indian Islands

India has a total of 615 islands, of which 572 lie in the Bay of Bengal, and the remaining 43 in the Arabian Sea. Out of the 572 islands of Andaman and Nicobar, only 36 are inhabited. The Bay of Bengal islands include the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are largely tectonic and volcanic in origin, while the islands of the Arabian Sea are mainly coral formations. Moreover, there are a number of offshore islands along the mouth of the Ganga, eastern and western coasts and in the Gulfs of Khambat and Mannar.