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Cherbaniani Atoll
Native name: Malayalam: വലിയപാണി Nickname: ബലിയഫന്ന്യം
	Cherbaniani Atoll Location of Cherbaniani Atoll in Lakshadweep
Geography
Location	Arabian Sea
Coordinates	12°18′N 71°53′E / 12.300°N 71.883°E
Type	Atoll
Archipelago	Lakshadweep
Adjacent to	Indian Ocean
Total islands	3
Major islands	North; South; Middle;
Area	0.015 km2 (0.0058 sq mi)
Highest elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Administration
	India
Territory	Union territory of Lakshadweep
District	Lakshadweep
Island group	Aminidivi
Tehsils of India	Aminidivi
Subdivisions of India	Bitra
Demographics
Population	0 (2014)
Pop. density	0/km2 (0/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Malayali, Mahls
Additional information
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30);
ISO code	IN-LD-01
Official website	www.lakshadweep.gov.in
Avg. summer temperature	32.0 °C (89.6 °F)
Avg. winter temperature	28.0 °C (82.4 °F)

Cherbaniani Reef, also known as Beleapani Reef (Malayalam: Valiyapanniyam), is a coral atoll^[3] belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It has a distance of 1,880 km (1,170 mi) south of the city of Delhi.

Geography

Cherbaniani Reef is located 33 km north of Byramgore Reef and at 12°18′N 71°53′E / 12.300°N 71.883°E / 12.300; 71.883 it is the northwesternmost feature of Lakshadweep. The atoll has a roughly oval shape and was first described by ornithologist Allan Hume in 1876;^[4] its total lagoon area is 57.46 km² (22.19 sq mi).^[5]^[6] The 14 km long coral reef that encloses the lagoon has three small uninhabited islands on it.

Ecology

They are composed of accumulated coral sand, shingle, cuttle-bones and sea shells. There are many land hermit crabs under the boulders and among the detritus.^[7] The atoll used to be a breeding ground for pelagic birds, including the sooty tern (Sterna fuliginosa) and brown noddy (Anous stolidus), which were formerly found in great numbers.^[8]

Demographics

North Islet has a small mosque built and maintained by local fishermen from Bitra, Chetlat, Kiltan and Agatti islands. The fishermen came here and camp for fishing in a seasonal manner during the period between both monsoons.

Economics

Lakshadweep islanders from Chetlat and Bitra sometimes visit the islands to collect guano for the gardens of the inhabited islands, gathering eggs, dumping garbage and disturbing the nestlings of pelagic birds in the process. The beaches are strewn with marine litter composed mainly of oceanic flotsam deposited by currents, such as plastic bottles, glass bulbs, polystyrene foam and cans.^[9]

Administration

The Atoll belongs to the township of Bitra of Aminidivi Tehsil.^[10]

Image gallery

Satellite picture showing the atolls of the Lakshadweep except for Minicoy.
Map of Lakshadweep Islands.

References

^ "Islandwise Area and Population - 2001 Census" (PDF). Government of Lakshadweep. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
^ Registration Plate Numbers added to ISO Code
^ Cherbaniani Reef, India
^ Hume, Allan O., The Laccadives and the West Coast, Stray Feathers. (Calcutta), IV (1876), 413-83. 21.
^ "Lakshadweep - Cherbaniani Reef". Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Mistakenly switched here between Byramgore and Cherbaniani.
^ W.A. Taylor, FRSE, Geographical Notes, Scottish Geographical Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 11, 1892
^ Birds of Lakshadweep Islands Archived 12 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ P.S.B.R. James, The Lakshadweep: Islands of Ecological Fragility, Environmental Sensitivity and Anthropogenic Vulnerability, Journal of Coastal Environment
^ "Tehsils info" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2016.