MALE, Maldives (AP) – Many people thought last month’s tsunami would turn this tropical tourist paradise into a modern-day Atlantis. After all, the islands that make up the Maldives average only 3 feet in height.

But while the tsunami swamped up to 40 percent of the Maldives, an Indian Ocean string of 1,192 coral atolls 300 miles southwest of the southern tip of India, the islands weren’t swamped by the monstrous waves some countries saw.

“My first impression was that we’re done. We are history,” said Koerg Limper, general manager of a holiday resort on Furana Fushi island.

Witnesses say the waves rose to no more than about 9 feet, less than a third of the height observed in other parts of southern Asia.

“The low height meant that the gushing water moved completely across many islands,” said Ahmed Shaheed, the chief government spokesman.

Mariam Naseem, 26, who lives on the island of Naalafushi, said she clung to a damaged wall to keep from being washed away. “But I lost the grip of my 10-year-old son, a polio victim, and he died.”

He was one of 82 people killed in the Maldives, which have a population of about 300,000. The death toll was low compared to Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. Overall more than 157,000 people died.

Only 200 of the islands are inhabited, but the waves were merciless, obliterating houses and schools, wrecking power and communication lines and dumping sea water into wells. Some 100,000 people received emergency aid after the disaster. Weeks later, many still lack food, medical care and drinking water, officials said.

The tsunami hit the Maldives amid concern about another threat to their existence – global warming. Environmentalists have long warned of a rise in sea levels that could obliterate much of the low-lying nation in coming decades.

Using the lure of free housing, the government is trying to shift the population to larger islands with protected reefs and good harbors, a planning commission official said. But a similar plan failed in the 1960s over fears it would destroy traditional village culture.

Most of the inhabited islands are home to fewer than 500 people and their average size is 40 acres. Relief workers must ferry all aid in boats, a logistical nightmare.

Since many of the islands’ wells were contaminated with salt water, the coming dry season means there could be even more trouble, said Moez Doriad, the United Nations Development Program resident representative.

The government says it needs $200 million over the next year for temporary shelters, health care, food and water and to rebuild schools and homes. Shaheed, the government spokesman, said $1.3 billion was needed over the next five years for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The islands’ recovery depends in large part on how soon the tourist industry bounces back. The country’s pristine beaches and spectacular diving spots are a big draw with the wealthy, dramatically improving the standard of living here over the past two decades. The average income is now about $2,200 a year, with tourism accounting for one-third the gross domestic product, according to U.N. figures.

But hotel bookings have dropped 30 percent since the Dec. 26 disaster, which damaged 19 of the archipelago’s 87 resorts.

“The country was about to emerge out of the category of least-developed-country,” said Lotte Dahlmann of the United Nations Development Program. “However, the tsunami may have put its development back by 20 years.”

The waves were also a setback for the fishing industry, the other main livelihood here. The industry lost a large percentage of boats, equipment and jetties. However, officials don’t expect much long-term effect on fish stocks. Richard Vokes, a director of the Asian Development Bank, predicted the fishing trade would be back to normal in a couple of months.

AP-ES-01-15-05 0500EST

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