Lakshadweep (Also known as Lakshadweep or Lakshadweep), from Sanskrit — "hundreds of thousands of Islands" — lie in the Arabian sea, at a distance of 400 km from the coast of Kerala. A group of 36 coral Islands, of which only 10 are inhabited, are covered with emerald green and white sandy beaches. The lagoons of the Islands are home to unique forms of marine life, and on the shore — bright shells and no less bright natives. Geologically, the coral Islands of Lakshadweep belong to the same "chain" as the Maldives.