The Maldives – made up of a chain of nearly 1,200 mostly uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean – is the lowest country in the world. Not one of its coral islands is more than six feet (1.8 meters) above sea level, making the country vulnerable to a rise in sea level associated with climate change. I guess that’s why I found this video so poignant.
An Islamic republic, Maldives has been building its tourist industry in recent decades, and, according to the Financial Times this week, it reached its targeted one million visitors mark by the end of 2013.
Deborah Byrd
About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
