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A flat, windswept coral island in the Palk Strait off northern Sri Lanka, also called Neduntheevu, and the largest of the region's seven inhabited islands.
Delft Island, known locally as Neduntheevu, is an island in the Palk Strait off the northern coast of Sri Lanka, lying south-southwest of the Jaffna peninsula. It is the largest of the seven inhabitable islands in the region, covering about 50 square kilometres with a length of 8 km and a maximum width of about 6 km. The island is flat and oval in shape, almost constantly windswept, and ringed by shallow waters and beaches made of coral fragments and sand. It is inhabited by people of Tamil origin and carries layered historical remains from the Chola period and the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial eras.
Type: PhenomenonLocation — in the Palk Strait, off the northern coast of Sri Lanka, south-southwest of the Jaffna peninsula.
Alternative name — Neduntheevu, its Tamil name.
Size — about 50 square kilometres; 8 km long and up to about 6 km wide; the largest of the seven inhabitable islands in the region.
Terrain — flat and oval-shaped, windswept for most of the year, surrounded by shallow water and beaches of coral chunks and sand.
Water — there are no streams on the island; freshwater comes from surface water collected in natural depressions and artificial ponds.
Vegetation — dry shrubs and semi-arid tropical plants, along with tall palm trees.
Heritage — remains from the Chola dynasty and from the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial periods; the name 'Delft' is of Dutch origin.
Frequency: Palk Strait geography and India-Sri Lanka maritime issues appear regularly in UPSC Prelims and Mains GS Paper 2.
Neduntheevu
Palk Strait
Sri Lanka
South-southwest of the Jaffna peninsula
About 50 square kilometres
8 km long, up to about 6 km wide
Largest of the seven inhabitable islands
Surface water in natural depressions and artificial ponds; no streams
Delft Island matters for Indian examinations mainly because of where it sits. The Palk Strait is the narrow body of water separating Tamil Nadu from northern Sri Lanka, and it is the setting for the long-running question of Indian fishermen straying into Sri Lankan waters — incidents around Delft Island, including groundings and rescues by the Sri Lanka Navy, recur for that reason. The island is also a useful geographical illustration in its own right: with no streams and a coral-and-sand substrate, it depends entirely on rainwater collected in depressions and ponds, which is a clear example of how island hydrology constrains settlement. Its layered heritage, running from Chola-period remains through Portuguese, Dutch and British occupation, reflects the strategic value that successive powers placed on control of the Palk Strait approaches.
Delft Island, also called Neduntheevu, lies in the Palk Strait off northern Sri Lanka.
South-southwest of the Jaffna peninsula; largest of the region's seven inhabitable islands.
Area about 50 sq km; 8 km long, up to 6 km wide.
Flat, oval and windswept, ringed by coral and sand beaches.
No streams; freshwater from natural depressions and artificial ponds.
Inhabited by people of Tamil origin; heritage from the Cholas and the Portuguese, Dutch and British periods.
In the Palk Strait off the northern coast of Sri Lanka, south-southwest of the Jaffna peninsula.
It is known locally as Neduntheevu, its Tamil name. 'Delft' is a Dutch name reflecting the island's colonial history.
There are no streams on the island. Freshwater comes from surface water collected in natural depressions and artificial ponds.
It lies in the Palk Strait, where Indian fishermen frequently operate close to or across the maritime boundary. Incidents such as groundings and rescues by the Sri Lanka Navy near the island recur for this reason.