Geography
Minicoy is the only inhabited island of the Maliku Atoll and is located at 8°17′N 73°02′E / 8.283°N 73.033°E / 8.283; 73.033 205 km to the SSE of Suheli Par. It is the second largest and the southern-most among the islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago, measuring about 10 km from its northern end to its southernmost point. Minicoy is a long island, almost completely covered with coconut trees. One of the few landmarks on the island is a tall lighthouse. On the southern side of the main island lies the uninhabited islet of Viringili (Dhivehi: ވިރިންގިލި, also called the Small Pox Island) where formerly the lepers of Minicoy and those infected with small pox were banished.
This atoll is administered under the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy and Laccadive Islands. The closest island to Minicoy is Thuraakunu in the Republic of Maldives. Since 1956, the Indian Government has forbidden the direct travelling between the two islands despite their geographic proximity and ethnographic similarities.
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