Maldives - Geography
 The sea forms over 99 percent of the
Maldives. Only 0.331 percent, 115 square miles, of its 47,740 square miles is
land. And a mere 199 out of, at least 1,190, islands are inhabited.
Seen from air, the atolls and islands
form breathtakingly beautiful patterns against the blue depths of the Indian
Ocean. The Maldivian atolls are a classic example of its kind. The Oxford
English Dictionary says the word is "an adoption of the native name
"atholhu" applied to the Maldive Islands , which are typical examples
of this structure". The atolls rise from a common plateau, a long
dead volcanic landmass, and are separated from each other by deep channels. A
journey between them is often easy to navigate.
 The islands are formed from coral
layers rising sharply from the plateau. Most of these islands are situated close
to the atoll enclosure reef and vary in size
from patches of coral or small sand banks, to real islands – some are still in
the process of forming. Because they are based on coral, the islands are
flat; the highest point very rarely rises over six feet above sea level.
Fortunately, the atoll reefs protect the islands
from the major elements. Years and years of the sea moving with shell particles
have grounded them into grains of
sand smaller than a little dot. Though there are no forests as such, the islands
all support vegetation that can be quite lush. Coconut palms hold forte
in the court of trees, thriving without help even on the smallest of islands.
The usual surface covering is a mixture
of sand and organic matter, forming a layer of dark humus to about six inches
deep. Sand stone about 2 ft deep is
found below, after which it changes to a layer of sand where fresh water can be
obtained. These islands are all susceptible to erosion, especially those lying a
few minutes from windward reefs.
The islands are grouped
into 26 natural atolls but, for administrative purposes, have been divided into
19 atolls with the capital island of Male' an entity of its own - forming the
twentieth division.
Updated:
September 16, 2006
| 
