Heart-shaped island with sandy beach, offshore coral reef, Indian Ocean, Maldives

© Willyam Bradberry/Shutterstoc

A Valentine in the Arabian Sea. Maldives

Heart-shaped islands are more common than you might guess and can be found at many latitudes and longitudes. This one in the archipelago nation of the Maldives is hard to top for its beauty. A flight over this tropical gem might make for the most memorable Valentine’s Day ever.

The Republic of Maldives is the smallest nation in Asia, located 756 kilometres from the continent’s mainland. The country is made up of 26 atolls, together containing more than 1,000 islands. It's one of the least populous and smallest Asian nations by land area, although it covers about 90,000 square kilometres if you count its waters.

Highly sought after by honeymooners, the Maldives derives most of its income from tourism. However, its days as a tropical getaway might be numbered as it faces the threat of climate change. With an average elevation of just under 1.5 metres, the country is especially vulnerable to rising sea levels. If you need a reason to care about global warming, just keep this precious spot close to your heart.