20 Advanced MCQs on Islands of India

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1. Which island group of India contains the only active volcano in the country?

a) Nicobar Islands
b) Andaman Islands
c) Barren Island
d) Lakshadweep

Correct Answer: c) Barren Island

Explanation: Barren Island, part of the Andaman Islands, is India’s only active volcano. It last erupted in 2017. It sits on the tectonically active Indo-Burmese Arc and provides key insights into subduction-related volcanism.

2. Which island in the Lakshadweep group is known for its crescent-shaped atoll structure?

a) Kadmat Island
b) Minicoy Island
c) Bangaram Island
d) Suheli Par

Correct Answer: d) Suheli Par

Explanation: Suheli Par consists of two uninhabited islets and a sandbank forming a crescent-shaped atoll. Its unique lagoon ecosystem supports tuna fishing and rich coral biodiversity, making it a crucial ecological and economic site in Lakshadweep.

3. Which island of the Andaman group is the only nesting ground in South Asia for the megapode bird?

a) Narcondam Island
b) Little Andaman
c) North Sentinel Island
d) Interview Island

Correct Answer: a) Narcondam Island

Explanation: Narcondam Island hosts the Narcondam Hornbill and is South Asia’s only nesting site for the Nicobar Megapode. Its isolated ecosystem and volcanic origin make it of high conservation importance, declared as a wildlife sanctuary.

4. Which Nicobar Island was severely affected by subsidence due to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami?

a) Car Nicobar
b) Katchal Island
c) Trinket Island
d) Kamorta Island

Correct Answer: c) Trinket Island

Explanation: Trinket Island split into three parts after the 2004 tsunami due to land subsidence. This geological change displaced entire tribal communities. It remains an important case study of tectonic and tsunami impact on fragile island ecosystems.

5. Which island in the Andamans is used for hydropower generation?

a) Rutland Island
b) Baratang Island
c) Middle Andaman
d) North Andaman

Correct Answer: a) Rutland Island

Explanation: Rutland Island supports a small hydroelectric project using natural streams. It is also significant for its indigenous tribes, rich marine biodiversity, and proximity to South Andaman, forming part of the critical water resource management system.

6. Which is the southernmost inhabited island of India?

a) Car Nicobar
b) Minicoy
c) Great Nicobar
d) Indira Point

Correct Answer: c) Great Nicobar

Explanation: Great Nicobar is India’s southernmost inhabited island, while Indira Point at its tip marks the country’s last land boundary. It has unique tropical rainforests, Shompens tribe settlements, and the Campbell Bay National Park.

7. Which island in Lakshadweep is divided into two distinct parts, Andrott and Kalpeni, due to lagoon formation?

a) Agatti
b) Minicoy
c) Kalpeni
d) Amini

Correct Answer: c) Kalpeni

Explanation: Kalpeni Island is a peculiar coral atoll with three small islets—Tilakkam, Pitti, and Cheriyam. Severe erosion has shaped its lagoon system. Its geography reflects the fragile equilibrium between corals and rising sea levels.

8. Which Andaman island is most famous for limestone caves and mud volcanoes?

a) Baratang
b) Long Island
c) Middle Andaman
d) Havelock

Correct Answer: a) Baratang

Explanation: Baratang Island hosts India’s only accessible mud volcanoes and stunning limestone caves. The site is geologically significant, reflecting ongoing tectonic movements. Its unique landforms make it important for tourism and scientific research alike.

9. Which Nicobar Island was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2013?

a) Car Nicobar
b) Great Nicobar
c) Kamorta
d) Katchal

Correct Answer: b) Great Nicobar

Explanation: Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve includes Campbell Bay and Galathea National Parks. It protects endemic species like Nicobar megapode and saltwater crocodiles. Its rainforest ecosystem is vital for biodiversity conservation and climate regulation in the Bay of Bengal.

10. Which Lakshadweep island is geographically closest to the Maldives?

a) Amini
b) Kadmat
c) Minicoy
d) Bitra

Correct Answer: c) Minicoy

Explanation: Minicoy, the southernmost Lakshadweep island, lies just north of Maldives. Its culture, language (Mahl), and traditions are similar to Maldivian society, highlighting strong ethnographic ties. It plays a strategic role in India’s maritime security.

11. Which is the largest island in the Andaman group?

a) North Andaman
b) Middle Andaman
c) South Andaman
d) Little Andaman

Correct Answer: b) Middle Andaman

Explanation: Middle Andaman is the largest island in the Andaman group by area. It features dense tropical forests, timber resources, and indigenous communities. It also serves as a critical link in the Andaman Trunk Road system.

12. Which Nicobar island has a significant coconut plantation economy and is a major producer of copra?

a) Car Nicobar
b) Nancowry
c) Katchal
d) Teressa

Correct Answer: a) Car Nicobar

Explanation: Car Nicobar has flat terrain suitable for coconut cultivation, making it a key copra-producing island. Its strategic location also hosts an Indian Air Force station. The Nicobarese tribe depends heavily on coconut-based subsistence.

13. Which island in Lakshadweep has a unique shipwreck visible underwater, now a diving attraction?

a) Bangaram
b) Kavaratti
c) Pitti
d) Suheli Par

Correct Answer: a) Bangaram

Explanation: Bangaram Island’s lagoon has a sunken shipwreck popular among divers. This site enhances marine tourism and supports local economy. It also highlights the fragile marine environment where coral reefs coexist with human interventions.

14. Which Andaman island has a wildlife sanctuary known for feral elephants introduced during the colonial period?

a) Interview Island
b) Long Island
c) South Andaman
d) Rutland Island

Correct Answer: a) Interview Island

Explanation: Interview Island hosts feral elephants, originally brought by the British for logging. The elephants adapted to wild conditions after logging ceased. Today, it is a sanctuary preserving a unique example of human-induced wildlife adaptation.

15. Which Nicobar island is associated with the indigenous Shompens tribe?

a) Car Nicobar
b) Kamorta
c) Great Nicobar
d) Katchal

Correct Answer: c) Great Nicobar

Explanation: The Shompens, a semi-nomadic tribe, inhabit Great Nicobar’s interior forests. They practice subsistence hunting and gathering, largely isolated from outside contact. Their existence highlights the anthropological richness of India’s island territories.

16. Which Lakshadweep island has the highest population density?

a) Bitra
b) Kavaratti
c) Agatti
d) Amini

Correct Answer: b) Kavaratti

Explanation: Kavaratti, the administrative capital of Lakshadweep, is the most densely populated island. It serves as the hub for governance, education, and fisheries, balancing ecological vulnerability with the needs of a growing population.

17. Which Andaman island is an important turtle nesting site, especially for leatherback turtles?

a) Little Andaman
b) South Reef Island
c) North Andaman
d) Interview Island

Correct Answer: b) South Reef Island

Explanation: South Reef Island is globally significant as a nesting site for giant leatherback turtles. Conservation efforts here focus on balancing turtle protection with minimal human interference, ensuring survival of this endangered species.

18. Which Nicobar island group forms part of the strategic “Ten Degree Channel”?

a) Car Nicobar
b) Nancowry Islands
c) Kamorta Island
d) Katchal Island

Correct Answer: b) Nancowry Islands

Explanation: The Ten Degree Channel separates Andaman from Nicobar. Nancowry group lies at this maritime junction, making it vital for navigation and defense. Control over this channel ensures India’s dominance over eastern Indian Ocean trade routes.

19. Which Lakshadweep island has a freshwater lake, a rare phenomenon in coral atolls?

a) Kavaratti
b) Amini
c) Minicoy
d) Andrott

Correct Answer: d) Andrott

Explanation: Andrott Island uniquely has a natural freshwater lake within its coral atoll structure. This makes it ecologically significant, as freshwater availability is rare on small coral islands, supporting both human settlement and biodiversity.

20. Which Andaman island was historically used as a penal settlement before Cellular Jail was built?

a) Viper Island
b) Ross Island
c) Havelock Island
d) Neil Island

Correct Answer: a) Viper Island

Explanation: Viper Island housed a jail where freedom fighters were imprisoned before Cellular Jail’s construction. Its colonial past makes it historically significant. The island also derives its name from the ship “HMS Viper” that wrecked nearby.