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Geography
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Click
image to view the picture gallery of Islands in the
Maldives |
Out
of the 26 naturally formed atolls, the largest atoll
is the Huvadhoo Atoll, one of the largest in
the world with a lagoon covering an area of 864 square
miles. Out of the 1,190 islands, the largest island
is the Fua Mulaku Island, which is two miles
long and one mile wide. |
The word "atoll"
is a word in the English language that Oxford extracted
from the Maldivian language. This should give you a
hint about just how perfect our atoll formations are.
Judge for yourself. |
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Nation
of islands
A string of pearls
scattered over the deep blue Indian Ocean -
The first glimpse you
get of this fascinating atoll- formation confirms two unique
aspects of the Republic of Maldives:
Not only does it consist
of the most beautiful tropical islands, but 99% of its 90.000
km² is covered by the sea.
1190 islands are
spread over 26 atolls, ringlike coral formations enclosing
a lagoon, which gives the Maldives its unique paradise-like
appearance.
They stretch for
about 820 km from North to South, 130 km at the widest point
and do not exceed a length of 4.5 miles or an altitude of
6 feet above sea level.
No more than 200
islands are inhabited, the rest includes the 87 tourist
resorts and uninhabited islands, some of which are used
for drying fish or other agricultural activities.
The capital Malé,
the seat of government and the centre of trade, commerce,
business, health and education, is located in the middle
of the atoll chain, a small island buzzing with the sounds
and activities of about 75.000 people which is about one
third of the population.
Atoll
Formation
The atolls of the
Maldives are formed from coral structures, separated by
lagoons. The atolls are in fact part of a greater structure
known as the Laccadives-Chagos Ridge, which stretches over
2000 kilometres. The islands are low lying with the highest
point at approximately 8 feet above sea level. 'Faru' or
ring-shaped reef structures form the atolls and these reefs
provide natural defense against wind and wave action, on
these delicate islands.
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