Welcome to the Maldives - Rising Waters

A haunting canvas Tatiana Iliina's artist's concept of what the Maldives Islands may look like in a few years time, after being completely flooded by rising waters fed by melting ice caps. (the canvas was sold and is in a private collection)

Another gorgeous day in the Maldives...

Maldives government meets under water

Approximately the same time this painting was painted, in mid-2009, the Maldives Parliament held a session underwater to symbolize the island nation's struggle for survival. Apparently it was officially a government cabinet meeting.

The Maldives consists of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, about 200 of which are inhabited with an average elevation of 4 feet 11 inches, about 1.3 meters, above sea level.