印度洋的环礁，马尔代夫 Atolls in Indian Ocean, Maldives (© Amazing Aerial Premium/Shutterstock)

印度洋的环礁，马尔代夫 Atolls in Indian Ocean, Maldives (© Amazing Aerial Premium/Shutterstock)

印度洋之眼 Eyes of the Indian Ocean

马尔代夫

马尔代夫位于斯里兰卡和印度的西南部，拥有宁静的沙滩和清澈的海水，并以海鲜、环礁湖和无数的椰子树而闻名。马尔代夫群岛约有1200个岛屿，这些岛屿是由26个环礁链组成的。环礁是环形的岛屿，边缘是珊瑚，中间是礁湖。马尔代夫还是芭环礁生物圈保护区的所在地，该保护区已于2011年6月被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。在那里，游客可以观赏蝠鲼和鲸鲨，还可以享受潜水、冲浪等有趣的活动

Atolls in the Maldives

With nearly 1,200 islands spread over a chain of 26 atolls, the Maldives are popular with tourists seeking serene beaches, scuba diving, and surf in the Indian Ocean. The atolls, like those pictured on our homepage, are made up of coral reefs that formed around the top of now-sunken volcanoes. Some are single, ring-shaped islands enclosing lagoons while other atolls are a series of small, connected islets, many of which are uninhabited.

The country is also home to Baa Atoll, a UNESCO biosphere reserve whose numerous coral reefs, islands, and mangroves make it a globally important habitat for species including whale sharks, manta rays, and marine turtles. The Maldives archipelago is rich in biodiversity but faces an existential threat from climate change. As lowest-lying country in the world, much of which is less than 4 feet above sea level, it is extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels. By the end of the century, it is thought that the islands could disappear altogether.