Atoll remains of an ancient atoll as a hill in a limestone area is called a reef knoll. The second largest atoll by dry land area is Aldabra with 155 km². The largest atoll in terms of island numbers is Huvadhu Atoll in the south of the Maldives with 255 islands. In 1842, Charles Darwin explained the creation of coral atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean based upon observations made during a five-year voyage aboard from 1831 to 1836. Accepted as basically correct, his explanation involved considering that several tropical island types—from high volcanic island, through barrier reef island, to atoll—represented
Meemu Atoll Meemu Atoll Mulaku Atoll or Meemu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name, also known as Mulak Atoll or 'Mulakatolhu'. There is a mosque of historical value in Kolhufushi Island, but no Buddhist remains have been found on this atoll. Also of historic importance is the 1573 wreck of Kalhuohfummi off the south eastern reef of Kolhuvaariyaafushi island. NOTE: "Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Meemu) are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names