Ever wonder how the sterile white sandbanks developed, creating the verdant garnished centre that symbolizes the ideal island? An isolated pile of fine coral remnants surrounded by oceans developing its soil to a certain level of fertility is in question. It is indeed the beautiful hand-in-hand sequence of nature that gives a blossoming kiss to the baby island.
Sandbanks are formed in shallow areas of the reef lagoons in tropical atolls of the Maldives. Likewise, vegetation such as seaweed and seagrass play an important initiation role in the development of a green island. Bio-minerals from marine faeces and sea-greens embed enough minerals in the vanilla banks, allowing new and larger plants to grow. This includes grasses carried by wind, seeds dropped by sea-birds and most importantly coconuts. Coconuts are capable of surviving the ocean currents and the dense heat for a long period of time. Likewise, the hard-shell protects the coconut from expiring as it floats over the sea until it reaches a new shore to evolve into a palm tree. This is the main reason why tropical islands like in the Maldives, continental shorelines and beaches have a large abundance of coconut palm trees.
Further growth of foreign flowering plants are all man-made influences in the Maldives. The abundance of certain flower bushes and large farms are all from important fruits and vegetables. With research and timely civilization, the soils have become extremely rich and feasible to cater economic-grade production. Maldivian farming developed from breadfruits to melons, and now grains (successful production of rice grains took place this year), the young island soils have matured to support agricultural farming to level in which it can support the economy.
It was not long ago when Maldive islands were just volcanoes baking its hot molten lava, to erupt creating this beautiful garland of islands. Taking centuries for this atoll chain to cultivate its verdant green patches over the blue sea blankets of the Indian Ocean, indeed mother nature has patiently given the world a powerful geographical embroidery.
