Maldives - Geography

The Republic of Maldives lies in the Indian Ocean, some 670km west-south-west of Sri Lanka. The 1,190 coral islands, 200 of which are inhabited, occur on a double chain of 26 coral atolls. The archipelago is 823km long and 130km at its widest.

The islands are divided into 20 administrative units, called atolls (although they do not necessarily correspond to geographical atolls). Each is known by a letter in the Maldivian alphabet in addition to its geographical name. Huvadhu Atoll, for example, is divided into two administrative units: Gaaf Alif and Gaaf Dhaal.

Area: While the land area is only an estimated 298 sq km, the country’s total area of land and sea is some 90,000 sq km.

Main towns: Malé (capital, on Malé Atoll, pop. 87,200 in 2006) is the only sizeable town; other settlements are Hithadhu (Siin, 10,000), Foammulah (Ghaviyani, 8,000), Kulhudhuffushi (Haa Dhaal, 8,000), Thinadhu (Gaaf Dhaal, 5,400) and Naifaru (Lhaviyani, 3,800), where the administrative units are in the brackets.

Topography: Huvadhu Atoll to the south is the largest true atoll formation in the world and has a lagoon of 2,240 sq km. Most of the islands are very small and rise no higher than 2m above sea level. The islands are surrounded by coral reefs but some, especially those furthest from the windward reefs, are liable to erosion. Some islands are additionally protected by breakwaters. The capital, Malé, is only 1.8 sq km. There is a land reclamation project on Malé Atoll. Distinctive features of Maldives are its white beaches and crystal clear lagoons. There are no hills, mountains or rivers.

One of the most violent earthquakes ever recorded occurred on 26 December 2004 in the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra and generated a tsunami that devastated the islands, causing about 100 deaths.

Climate: Maldives has a hot tropical climate. The rainy south-west monsoon season is from April to October; the north-east monsoon from December to March. Average annual rainfall is 1,654mm. The temperature ranges between 25°C and 30°C, but generally stays around the average 27°C. Gales occur during the monsoon. In May 1991, abnormal tidal waters caused great damage through the archipelago.

Environment: The most significant issues are: depletion of freshwater aquifers threatening water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; and coral reef bleaching.

Vegetation: There is dense growth of coconut palms, breadfruit, screwpines and lesser vegetation on many islands although the soil lacks nutrients.

Wildlife: Coral reefs support an abundance of marine life. There are over 200 species of coral and over 1,000 species of fish, from the tiny fire goby to the harmless plankton-eating whale shark which can reach 12m in length. On land there are breeding colonies of frigatebirds and noddies, which local fishermen follow to find schools of tuna.

Transport: Few of the islands take longer than 30 minutes to cross on foot. Motor scooters are the favoured method of mechanical transport on Malé.

There are boat and seaplane services between islands during daylight hours. Boat services include traditional small (motor-powered) boats called dhonis and speed boats. With the increase in tourism, glass-bottomed boats for viewing coral reef and marine life, and vessels for fishing trips, diving and other water sports transport, have become common.

Malé International Airport is on the island of Hulhule, 2km from the capital; there is a frequent boat service linking airport and capital. The national airline operates regular services to airstrips in the outer atolls. Seaplanes and helicopters are also used to transfer tourists to resorts.