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!!!The Palk Strait 

[{Image src='110ce.jpg' width='707' height='800' alt='The Palk Strait ' class='image_left' caption='Image courtesy of NASA. '}]
[{SET customtitle='The Palk Strait '}]
The Palk Strait separates India (upper left) from Sri Lanka (center). This image shows the Strait filled with bright sediment, while off the northeast tip of Sri Lanka, a darkening in the waters could be a phytoplankton bloom. 

On Sri Lanka, many of the native forests have been cleared, but small pockets remain in preserves, such as that seen in the dark green southeastern portion of the island. The imaging satellite also detected a number of fires that are indicated in red.