about the formation of atolls. According to Charles Darwin's theory, when submerged volcanoes rise from the sea, a coral reef grew on its edge. When the volcanoes submerged, the coral reefs encircling a water-filled basin remained. Consequently, islands were formed on the reefs as the tides and currents brought dead coral onto sandbars. These were in turn colonised by plants.

A different view has been provided by Hans Hass. According to him, layers of coral reefs might have built up on top of the submerged mountains until they rose to the surface. The hardest and highest corals remained while the weaker corals in the center of the coral platforms broke down. The remaining corals at the outer edges formed rings that were to form the outer rims of atolls. Islands were formed as debris and sand accumulated on to the remaining reefs.

The reef is cut by deep channels, which the locals have mastered to navigate. Protective reefs safeguard the islands from the elements. However, the islands are susceptible to erosion. The islands are low-lying; emerging almost two meters above the sea level. It is frequent that one part of the island to erode while onto another part the currents and tides deposit sand expanding the island. Over the course of time, some islands may erode completely, while others may be formed gradually on a sandbank. There are still many islands and sandbanks at various stages of formation. Hence, the Maldives is a dynamic country in the making.

The summer never ends in the Maldives. Although it is warm throughout the year there are slight variations in the temperature during certain periods determined by the monsoon; from November to April is mostly dry with very little wind, while the southwest monsoon from May to October brings some rain and the temperature varies very little. The annual average daily temperature is between 30.4 and 25.4 degrees Celsius. The average rainfall is below 2mm per annum.

In a nation with less than one percent land and over 99 percent sea, the weather obviously plays a significant role in day-to-day life. For a long time Maldivians have organized their lives based on a system on nakaiy. Each nakaiy is 13 or 14 days long and is divided into two seasons; iruvai northest monsoon and hulhangu south west monsoon. The nakaiy calendar is still used to determine such things as the best time for fishing, travel or planting crops.