This ecoregion represents three island groups with the most extensive coral reef and atoll community in the Indian Ocean. Within India, the ecoregion spans the Lakshadweep, which comprises of 36 small islands scattered across 78,000 km² but with only 32 km² of land area. It has tropical monsoonal climate, with moderate temperatures (24° – 30°C) and about 1600 mm annual rainfall between April and October. The natural vegetation is tropical forest and shrub. The latter consists of hardy salt- and drought-resistant bushes and sedges in the family Cyperaceae. Beach cabbage, Scaevola sericea and Pemphis acidula line the beaches, with less salt tolerant trees such as Cordia subcordata, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Premna obtusifolia, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, and Terminalia catappa further inland.