Natural Walkway MALDIVES
The Maldives are formed by a number of natural atolls plus atolls in the form of a few islands and isolated reefs today which form a pattern stretching from 7 degrees 10' North to 0 degrees 45' South.
The Maldives is a long and narrow country formed by 26 natural atolls. Some atolls are in the form of a number of islands by time and in the form of isolated reefs, which could be classified as smaller atoll formations. All land above the surface in the Maldives is of coralline origin. The atolls of the Maldives form a quite regular chain and, especially in the northern and central atolls, an arrayed structure is apparent. There are broad and deep channels in between some atolls. The origin of the word atoll itself is in the language of the Maldives. 'Atoll' (fromDhivehi 'atholhu') is now used in many languages worldwide.
Traditionally, Maldivians call the atolls ending in '-madulu' or '-mathi' by their name without adding the word 'Atoll' at the end. For example, it is correct to write simply Kolhumadulhu, without adding the word 'Atholhu' at the end. This is also the case in the atoll known as Faadhippolhu.
The atolls of the Maldives are very complex structures and formerly they were very dangerous for navigators. In 1834-36 British Captain Robert Moresby undertook the laborious and difficult cartography of the Maldive Islands, drawing the first accurate maritime charts of this complicated Indian Ocean atoll group.
These Admiralty charts were printed as three separate large maps by the Hydrographic Service of the Royal Navy. Although they contain a few errors, Moresby's charts were so good that they were favoured by Maldivian pilots navigating through the treacherous waters of their atolls until the 1990s.
Nowadays there are more accurate maps of the Maldives based on satellite surveys. However, Maldivian navigators still claim that Commander Moresby's charts provide a wealth of data that the modern maps don't give. At the time that they were drawn, the maps of the Maldives were deemed of such a high quality that they were inspected personally by Queen Victoria.
Owing to the many beautiful diving grounds of the numerous atolls of the Maldives, this country has been marketed as a prime destination forscuba divers worldwide. Hence, during the last couple of decades many guides and maps of the best diving spots have been published and some of them are very accurate and give a wide array of useful hints.
Tourism began in the Maldives in 1972. A United Nations mission on development which visited the Maldive Islands in the 1960s did not recommend tourism, claiming that the islands were not suitable. Ever since the launch of the first resort in Maldives in 1972, however, tourism in Maldives has flourished. The arrival of the first tourist group is estimated to have occurred in February 1972. The group landed at Malé, the capital city of the Maldives, and spent 12 days in the country. Tourism in Maldives started with just two resorts with a capacity of about 280 beds in Kurumba Villag and Bandos island resort. Kurumba island resort is the first resort which was opened in Maldives than Bandos island resort was opened. At present, there are over 105 resorts located in the different atolls constituting the Republic of Maldives. Over the past few decades, the number of tourists in Maldives has risen continuously. Today, more than 900,000 tourists visit the Maldives each year. Former President HE Ibrahim Nasir, KCMG introduced tourism in Maldives.
Maldives is very famous for its natural beauty which includes the blue ocean and white beaches, accompanied by clean air and pleasant temperatures. The climate of the Maldives is ideal for visitors to get engaged in water sports such as swimming, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, water-skiing.windsurfing and kite boarding.
Due to its extraordinary underwater scenery and clean water, Maldives is ranked among the best recreational diving destinations of the world.
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