A whopping 1192 islands, most of them just tiny islets, spread over 26 atolls, set in one of the most unimaginable tropical settings. Each atoll is like a diamond necklace splashed in a turquoise frame. It's the only country that can claim it's territory consists for more than 99% of water!
Altough only 250 islands are inhabited, there's an almost equal number of islands on which tourist resorts have been implanted. Note that the Maldives government enforces a strict separation between these two types of islands: tourists are kept away from the inhabited islands, and Maldivians are not allowed to settle on resort islands.
Many unpopulated islands are used for agricultural purposes, trying to make the most out of a hard life. While the scenic Maldives look very much the ultimate top for exotic holidays, daily life is most difficult: lack of drinking water, little to grow on a salty soil, the continuous threat of rising sea water levels and extremely vulnerable to destructive tsunamis.
In a series of 11 maps, all based on accurate measurements and detailed satellite images, we have created a unique representation of this most exotic region. A street map of the capital Male is also under way and will be added to the map set soon.
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