Maldives Islands ...

Maldives as the “flower of the Indies” and Ibn Batuta called her in his chronicles “one of the wonders of the world”

Truly it is a natural wonder, the height of the islands rarely reach above two meters from sea level. The 1,190 islands, consisting of 26 atoll formations, are of 90,000 square kilometers. The Maldivian atolls are a classic discovery in its own right: the word “atoll” has been derived from “Dhivehi”, the Maldivian language, from the word “Atholhu”.

The islands are surrounded y shallow crystal clear lagoons enclosed y coral reefs. The unique islands provide visitors with one of the most breath-taking views of underwater life in the world. Formed above peaks emerging from the depths of the ocean, upon layers of both living and dead coral, remnants of other marine life, the islands are generally covered with dense tropical vegetation. Coconut palms towering above dense shrubs and hardly plants protecting the shores from erosion are natural features in most islands. The smaller islands and sand banks under formation are also wonders in themselves. These islands together embody living entities in various stages of formation, as interdependent elements in ecology, in a food chain where birds, fish, and other marine life co-exist, with humans at its apex as caretakers for centuries.

Measuring 820 kilometers north to south and 120 kilometers east to west at its greatest width, the closest neighbors are India and Sri Lanka. With a population of about more than 400,000, only about 200 islands are inhabited. Another 87 islands are set aside exclusively for tourist resort development.