International   

Lying low helps

MALE: Being the world's lowest-lying country may actually have spared the Maldives from the worst of the damage, some Maldivian officials believe. Because the average height of the archipelago is just one metre, the tsunami swept completely over many of its 1,190 tiny coral islands. But since the Maldives is not a tall landmass, the wave did not gain height as it approached land and did not break with devastating force as it did on the shores of neighbouring Sri Lanka and India. Witnesses reported waves of up to several metres in height — much less than the 10 metres seen elsewhere — and most islands experienced a massive swell in the sea rather than a wall of water crashing down.

- AP

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Sri Lankan parties bury the hachet for now
Frantic search for relatives
No grandmother's tale
Protests against Musharraf's decision
The Buddhas still smile
First to meet 2005
A scientific archive to open up
FBI whistle-blower retires
The cycle of life and death
Colombian rebel extradited
He knew it spelt trouble
To handle hangovers, a concierge
U.S. focus on logistics
Indian national missing in Aceh
'Russia's ties with India, China set to grow'
Marine killed in Iraq
"Release Iraqi woman scientist"
U.K. Act opens gates to information
Lying low helps

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu