Maldives Street Scene 2

The Maldives is an archipelago of 1200 islands spread out over 90,000 square kilometres in the Indian Ocean. The islands, with their white beaches, crystal-clear lagoons and turquoise seas, are a paradise on Earth. Except that the highest point on land anywhere in the country is 2 meters or a little over 6 feet. The entire nation is going to become inundated by the sea as the planet's oceans rise due to global warming and the country and the people who live there will have to be moved somewhere else. Who knows where? Global warming is a mildly irritating news item to the rest of us, but a little more of an intense issue for the gentle Maldivian people.