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The Maldives holds the record for being the flattest country in the world,
with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 m (7½ ft), though in areas
where construction exists this has been increased to several metres. Over
the last century, sea levels have risen about twenty centimetres (8 in). The
ocean is likely to continue rising and this threatens the existence of
Maldives.
The first accurate maritime charts of this complex Indian Ocean atoll
group were the British Admiralty Charts. In 1834-36 Capt. Robert Moresby,
assisted by Lieutenants Christopher and Young, undertook the difficult
cartography of the Maldive Islands. The resulting charts were printed as
three separate large maps by the Hydrographic Service of the Royal Navy.
A tsunami in the Indian Ocean caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
caused parts of the Maldives to be covered by sea water and left many people
homeless. After the disaster, cartographers are planning to redraw the maps
of the islands due to alterations by the tsunami. |
