![]() ![]() The Maldives has a total area of 90,000 sq. ![]() Within the atolls, the water depth is about 30-80 meters. At the edges of the islands the beach rock dips slightly seawards and forms a platform on which the beach sediments are seasonally transported around the islands. The islands are thought to be situated on top of layer of beach rock (about 1m thick), underlying the islands at about 30 cm to 60m above present mean sea level. The geomorphology of these islands vary tremendously in different atolls and is influenced by a variety of factors such as location, climate, currents, tides, sea level change and also human factors. In geological time the filling up of the lagoons of faros and rim reefs by reef sediments has resulted in the formation of reef islands. Knolls do not reach the surface and often support profuse coral growth, as do the reefs associated with many of the islands. Patches rise to 40 meters above the lagoon floor and are topped by robust wave-breaking corals. They generally have a rim of living coral consisting of branched and massive types. Kolhumadulu & Hadhdhunmathi Atolls).įaros are ring shaped reefs emerging during tidal low water each with their own sandy lagoon and are separated by deep channels. Malé Atoll & Ari Atoll) to almost closed structures with few lagoon reefs, knolls and patches (e.g. The physical setting of the Maldivian atolls vary from open structures with numerous faros (ring-shaped reefs), patches and knolls in the atoll lagoon and around the rim (e.g. The total length of the chain is 648 km north to south and 130 km east to west forming a double chain in the center. ![]() It comprises of 22 natural atolls and some 1190 islands. The Maldive Islands are located in the Indian Ocean between 7° 06'N to 00° 45' S latitudes and 72° 13'E to 73° 45' Longitudes about 480 km South west of Cape Comorin, India and 650 km South west of Sri Lanka. The word atoll ( atholhu) has both administrative and geographical meanings in the Maldives. So unique and well known are the atolls of Maldives which apparently has evolved in a decidedly non-Darwinian fashion according to findings of modern research. The peculiarity of Maldivian atolls and their unique formation was so intriguing that early reef scientists and geographers decided to borrow the Maldivian term " atholhu" which is now used as " atoll" in the English language. For reef scientists, the Maldives is known as one of the wonders of the world in terms of biodiversity, marine life and reef formations. The rest are used for various activities the most important of which is tourism.įor politicians and environmentalists around the world, the Maldives is perhaps better known as islands drowning with the rising sea levels as a result of global warming. In fact only about 200 islands are inhabited. There are 22 geographical atolls comprising of about 1200 islands which are divided into 20 administrative units. The Maldives consists of atolls, coral reefs and low-lying coral islands. The people of Maldives are called Maldivians and their language is known as "Dhivehi". Maldives is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean not very far from India. ![]()
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