The Maldive Islands are a unique place indeed. The Maldives is an archipelago made up of a double chain of 26 natural atolls containing 1192 coral islands. The islands are located along the top of an submarine mountain ridge running north-south for about 600 miles in the Indian Ocean. The northern most end of the Maldives is located about 250 miles southwest of the southern tip of India. Positioned on the equator the Maldives has a very hot and humid climate. The Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 35,000 square miles, yet the total land mass combined equals only 115 square miles (about half of the area inside Atlanta’s I-285 perimeter road).
Map of the 26 atolls.
The Maldives is the lowest country in the world. More than 80 percent of the country’s islands are less than 3 feet above sea level. The highest natural ground point has an elevation of only 7 feet 10 inches above sea level. Not surprisingly, the possibility of the country being submerged by rising sea levels is of great concern.
The airport is almost a seaport.
The total population of the Maldives is about 330,000. Less than 200 of its 1192 islands are inhabited. Malé the capital city is home to around 100,000 people. Located on the southern edge of the North Malé Atoll and having a total land area of less than 2 square miles it is a very densely populated city. It kind of reminded me of a little Manhattan.
Stock aerial photo of Malé.
The Maldives is an Islamic nation, with mosques instead of the Buddhist temples we have seen so many of previously.
Being so small and dense Malé has many narrow alleyways.
Fishing is obviously a major industry. A local fish market.
With very limited space for growing crops most all produce is imported.
Cargo ships lined up off shore.
To get away from the crowd we took a boat out to one of the uninhabited islands. From this perspective our cruise ship dwarfs the city of Malé.
Good choice!
Happy campers.
Next stop the Seychelles
