Malta are uninhabited. The islands of the archipelago lie on the Malta plateau, a shallow shelf formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last Ice Age. The archipelago is therefore situated in the zone between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. Malta was considered an island of North Africa for centuries. Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours. The landscape consists of low hills with terraced fields. The highest point in Malta is Ta' Dmejrek, at , near Dingli. Although
White Island, Isles of Scilly is covered by the sea, as there are strong currents across it. This White Island should not be confused with a much smaller island of the same name, which lies off the coast of Samson. The uninhabited island lies off the north coast of St Martin's. It is about and until comparatively recently was part of St Martin’s. In 1814 the area of the island was estimated as fifty acres. At the north-east end of the island a fragment of altered killas, which at one time covered a much wider area, could be seen in 1911. In common with the