Maldives

At face value, the Maldives epitomise tropical island paradise. About 1,200 islands form 26 atolls stretching over 800km north to south, from 7° North (about 400km south-west of India) down to the equator. The remains of a vast mountainous ridge that sank into the ocean, the peaks slowly plunged under water while the fringing reefs continued to bloom at the surface. Fragments of reef gradually built up, giving the atolls and lagoons their characteristic appearance. But this paradise is an illusion, as living conditions are far from easy...