The unwritten history of the Maldives commences more than 225 million years ago. The hydrosphere and the lithosphere had already been formed. More than half the Earth comprised a great landmass which scientists today call Pangea. This great landmass was surrounded by a great ocean called Panthalassa.

About 136 million years ago the Pangea split into two supercontinents. The northern chunk was called Laurasia. The southern part was called Gondwanaland. Between the two land masses was an ocean called Tethys. In turn the Gondwanaland fragmented, leading to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean, which divided the African and the American continents.

As the supercontinents disintegrated due to plate tectonics and the geological plates shifted, molten lava from the core of the Earth erupted through the fissures leading to the shaping of the underwater terrain. The breaking down of Laurasia leading to the emergence of the northern continents was completed around 66 million years ago.

The Indian Ocean began to be formed around 150 million years ago. At that time India was part of the southern supercontinent, Gondwanaland. Asia was part of the northern landmass, Laurasia.

In the period mentioned above, plate tectonics forced the geological plate containing India to be separated from Madagascar and Africa and gradually began to shift the Indian plate northwards. As this plate moved north through the Indian Ocean it passed over a heated substratum. This hot spot was located approximately where what is now Reunion Island. From what is known this hot spot had played a significant role in the formation of Maldives.

Scientific research today confirms that the Maldive Ridge, which extends from Chagos Archipelago up north through the islands of the Maldives to those of Lakshadweep, had passed over the hotspot. As a result a ridge of volcanic mountains was formed and followed the Indian plate on its north- eastern journey.

The journey ended with the northern reaches of the Indian plate colliding and clashing with the southern rim of the Asian plate, and forcing the gigantic folds of the Himalayan Range. Subsequently, the shape of the Indian Ocean rim was delineated.

The volcanoes to which the oldest origin of the Maldives can be traced, over a very long period of time, gradually began to be submerged into the Indian Ocean. The terrain of the Maldives at that time comprised islands formed of volcanic mountains and highlands. As the mountains gradually and slowly sank into the Indian Ocean coralline deposits accumulated on the peaks and craters of the mountains. Over millions of years, these deposits grew into coral islands resting on submerged mountain-tops.