Definition
Maldives: The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago of coral atolls and reef platforms located in the central Indian Ocean.
Introduction
The Maldives archipelago comprises a chain of coral reefs and reef islands situated 700 km southwest of Sri Lanka and positioned between the Lakshadweep Islands (to the north) and Chagos Islands (to the south). The archipelago extends 868 km from Ihavandhippolhu in the north (6°57′N) to Addu atoll (0°34′S) just south of the equator. Comprising 2,041 reefs the archipelago is globally unique in biological diversity, the diversity of reef structures it possesses, and their mode of evolution. The reef system is host to approximately 1,190 low-lying reef islands. As one of only four atoll nations, the Maldives is commonly regarded as extremely vulnerable to future sea-level and climatic change.
Early exploration
Earliest scientific investigations of the Maldives involved detailed hydrographic observations of the archipelago by Commander James...
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Kench, P. (2011). Maldives. In: Hopley, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_107
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