The
islands of Maldives ushers in tourists
with promises of "the last paradise
on earth ', and if your idea of paradise
is white sand beaches with brilliant
turquoise waters, tropical gardens
with a magnificent explosion of colors
and the picture perfect sunsets that
illuminate the sky, then Maldives
will never let you down. It 'is also
an important destination for divers,
who come for the beautiful coral reefs
and the rich marine life.
Ptolemy, the Greek geographer described
the Maldives as a multitude of islands.
Marco Polo, the Venetian traveler,
found the islands to appear like a
flower of India. For Ibn Batuta, who
traveled during the 14th century and,
indeed, lived on the islands, Maldives
was one of the wonders of the world.
It is believed that these unique coral
atolls have undergone 65 to 200 million
years of processing as the crust of
a dead chain of volcanic mountains.
Atolls (the word atoll has been adapted
in English from its origins Maldivian
atholhu) are formed from barrier reef.
The reefs which protrude from the
sea-shaped islands gather particles
from the withering corals and give
them the attribute of white sand beaches.
Having been protected by the reefs,
the lagoons are calm and clear with
abundant species of fish and corals.
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