Channels of the Maldives

Last updated July 17, 2023

There are broad channels between the Atolls of the Maldives known locally as 'kandu'. The deepness and broadness of the channels vary from channel to channel.

Māmalē Kandu

Māmalē Kandu (also known as Maliku Kandu) Divehi is the broad Minicoy Channel between Minicoy (Maliku in Dhivehi) and Ihavandippolhu (Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll) in the north of the Maldives. The name is given after the Malabar merchant Maamaley Marakkaaru who controlled most of the sea trade along this route before the arrival of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean.^[1] The international maritime boundary between the Maldives and India runs through the channels

In the British Admiralty charts it is called Eight Degree Channel. It is so named as it lies on the 8-degree line of Latitude, north of the equator. Another local name for this channel is Addigiri Kandu.

This channel appeared in old French maps with the name Courant de Malicut.

History

Traditionally the northernmost atoll of the Maldives was Minicoy (Maliku). Fishermen from Thuraakunu and from Minicoy often crossed the Maliku Kandu on their boats to visit each other's islands. Marriage alliances were common.

Nowadays Minicoy is a part of India and communication between Minicoy and Maldives by sea is highly restricted.

Gallhandhoo Kandu

The channel between Ihavandhippolhu and Thiladhunmathi Atolls.

Baraveli Kandu

The channel between Noonu Atoll, Lhaviyani Atoll; Noonu Atoll and Raa Atoll

Kaashidhoo Bodu Kandu

The channel between Faadhippolhu and Kaashidhoo.

Kaashidhoo Kuda Kandu

Due to the island of Kaashidhoo being south of the in between of Lhaviyani Atoll Aligau and Gaafaru Falhu the main Kaashidhoo Kandu divides into two parts. From the two parts, Kuda Kaashidhoo Kandu is the channel south of Kaashidhoo island.

Hani Kandu

The channel in between Kaafu Atoll Gaafaru and North Male' Atoll.

Dheburidheytherey Kandu

The narrow channel between Raa Atoll and Baa Atoll (Fasdhoothere).

Geydhoshu Kandu

The narrow and deep channel in between Fasdhoothere and Souther Maalhosmadulu Atoll.

Vaadhoo Kandu

The channel between North Male' Atoll and South Male' Atoll.

Alihuras Kandu

The channel in between Vaavu Atoll and Meemu Atoll from the eastern set of atolls and Ari Atoll and Nilandhe Atoll from the western set.

Fulidhoo Kandu

The channel to the south of South Male' Atoll and to the north of Vaavu Atoll.

Ariadhoo Kandu

The channel between Alif Atolls and Faafu Atoll.

Vattaru-uthuru Kandu

The channel between the tip of the Meemu Atoll Raiymandhoo 'Muli' and the reef of 'Fohtheufalhu'.

Vattaru-dhekunu Kandu

The channel between Meemu Atoll and Vattaru Falhu.

Fushi Kandu

The channel between Faafu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll.

Kudahuvadhoo Kandu

The channel in between Kolhumadulu, Meemu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll.

Veymandoo Kandu

The channel between Thaa Atoll and Laamu Atoll.

Huvadhu Kandu

Huvadhu Kandu or Suvadiva Channel is the broad channel that separates the northern and central Maldives from the southern atolls.

This channel lies between Haddhunmathi Atoll and Huvadhu Atoll and it is one of the broadest channels between the atolls of Maldives.

In the British Admiralty charts it is called One and a Half Degree Channel. On old French maps it appeared as Courant de Souadou.

Sperm whales are a common sight on the surface of the Suvadiva Channel.

In the middle of the vast emptiness of the Huvadu channel there is a small bank known as Medutila (also called Derahaa). This place is the peak of a submarine mountain, and perhaps an atoll in the process of formation. This submerged bank is very difficult to spot for at its shallowest point there is a depth of 6 fathoms (11 m). It looks like a paler blue patch surrounded by huge expanses of the deepest ocean. There, no island can be seen in the horizon for many dozens of miles.^[2]

Addu Kandu

Addu Kandu is the traditional name of the broad channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll in the south of Maldives. In the British Admiralty charts it is called Equatorial Channel because the Equator passes through the upper part of the channel. With Addu Kandu the Equatorial Channel divides to form another important channel named Mulah Kandu. Geographically Addu Kandu and Mulah Kandu are one. But as Fuvahmulah lies north-east of Addu Atoll and more southwards from the center of the channel it's the part of the channel between Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll which is considered Mulah Kandu.

This channel appeared in old French maps with the name Courant de Addoue.

Mulah Kandu

Mulah Kandu is the channel between Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll.

Addu Kandu and Mulah Kandu are geographically one channel. But because Fuvahmulah lies north-east of Addu Atoll, the part of the channel in between Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll is considered as Mulah Kandu by Geographers. The part of the channel in between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll with no barrier is considered as Addu Kandu. Both the channel divisions together are known as the Equatorial Channel because the Equator lies between Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah.

Mulah Kandu is one of the deepest and roughest channel in the Maldives. The island of Fuvahmulah lies in this channel and the channel continues to the eastern tip of Addu Atoll Meedhoo Koagannu Faru.

Fuvahmulah in the Mulah Kandu is the first atoll of Maldives in the Southern Hemisphere and the nearest atoll to the equator. Being so close to the Equator makes Mulah Kandu among the roughest channels in Maldives due to the high pressure winds evolving in the Equator. As a result, Fuvahmulah was often inaccessible to seafarers and travelers in the past. Today, there is a domestic airport in Fuvahmulah and daily flights from Malé are available twice a day.

Related Research Articles

Huvadhu, Suvadive, Suvaidu or Suvadiva is the atoll with most islands in the world. The atoll is located in the Indian Ocean. It is south of the Suvadiva Channel in the Republic of Maldives with a total area of 3152 km², of which 38.5 km² is dry land. The atoll contains 255 islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atolls of the Maldives</span> Physical geographic entity

The Maldives are formed by 20 natural atolls, along with a few islands and isolated reefs today which form a pattern stretching from 7 degrees 10′ North to 0 degrees 45′ South. The largest of these atolls is Boduthiladhunmathi, while the atoll containing the most islands is Huvadhu.

Addu City is a city in Maldives that consists of the inhabited islands of Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the archipelago. Addu City is the second-largest urban area in Maldives, in terms of population, and is one of the two urban areas to get the status of "city" other than the capital city, Malé, and Fuvahmulah. Addu City has 6 districts. They are Hithadhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Maradhoo, Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo. These divisions are naturally islands, but are well connected. In addition, Addu Atoll has other uninhabited islands.

Minicoy, locally known as Maliku, is an island in Lakshadweep, India. Along with Viringili, it is on Maliku atoll, the southernmost atoll of Lakshadweep archipelago. Administratively, it is a census town in the Indian union territory of Lakshadweep. The island is situated 425 km west of Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala.

Haa Alif Atoll - officially referred as Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi is the northernmost administrative division of the Maldives.

Gaafu Alifu is an administrative division of the Maldives created on February 8, 1962, when Huvadhu Atoll was divided into two districts. Gaafu Alifu corresponds to the northeastern section of this large natural atoll north of the line extending between the channels of Footukandu and Vaarulu Kandu. The capital of this district is Vilingili.

Gaafu Dhaalu is an administrative district of the Maldives formed by the southwestern section of Huvadhu Atoll. It was created on February 8, 1962 when Huvadhu Atoll was divided into two districts. Gaafu Dhaalu corresponds to the Southwestern section of this large natural atoll, south of the line extending between the channels of Footukandu and Vaarulu Kandu. The capital of this region is Thinadhoo. There are 153 islands in this district, 10 of which are inhabited. This district is located about 340 kilometers south of the capital Malé.

Gnaviyani Atoll is one of the administrative divisions of the Maldives corresponding to the natural atoll, Fuvahmulah. Surfacewise this is the smallest administrative unit in the Maldives, situated on the Equatorial Channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll.

The United Suvadive Republic was a short-lived breakaway state from the Kingdom of Maldives between 1958 and 1963 consisting of the three southern atolls of the Maldive archipelago: Addu Atoll, Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah. The first president of the new nation was Abdulla Afeef Didi. The secession occurred in the context of the struggle of the Maldives’ emergence as a modern nation. The United Suvadive Republic inherited a Westminster system of governance cloned from Britain along with other institutional structures.

The Administrative Divisions of the Maldives refers to the various units of government that provide local government services in the Maldives. According to the Decentralization Act 2010, the administrative divisions of the Maldives would consist of atolls, islands, and cities; each administered by their own local council, under the basic terms of home rule. Geographically, the Maldives are formed by a number of natural atolls plus a few islands and isolated reefs which form a pattern from North to South. Administratively, there are currently 189 islands, 18 atolls and 4 cities in the Maldives.

Maliku Kandu and Māmalē Kandu Divehi are the traditional names of the broad Minicoy Channel between Minicoy and Ihavandippolhu in the north of the Maldives. The latter name is given after the Malabar merchant Maamaley Marakkaaru who controlled most of the sea trade along this route before the arrival of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean. The maritime boundary between the Maldives and India runs through the channel.

Addu Kandu, Dv. for "Addu Channel", is the traditional name of the broad channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll in the south of Maldives.

Koimala Siri Mahaabarana Mahaa Radun or Koimala or Koimala Kalo is the last pre-Islamic and the earliest verifiable ruler of the Maldives. He reigned from A.D. 1117 to A.D. 1141.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maldivian language</span> Indo-Aryan national language of Maldives

Maldivian, also known by its endonym Dhivehi or Divehi, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the South Asian island country of Maldives and on Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep, a union territory of India.

Mulah Kandu, Dv. for "Mulah Channel", is the channel between Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll.

A channel in the Maldives. Since the island of Kaashidhoo is located in the midst of the Kaashidhoo Kandu, or Kardiva Channel it is often referred to as having two parts. Kaashidhoo Bodu Kandu is the part between of Lhaviyani Atoll Aligau and Gaafaru Falhu.

Haa Alif Atoll is the code name based on the letters of the Maldivian alphabet commonly used to refer to the administrative division officially known as North Thiladhunmathi Atoll in the Maldives.

References

↑ Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī.
↑ Romero-Frias, Xavier (2012) Folk Tales of the Maldives, NIAS Press Archived 2013-05-28 at the Wayback Machine , ISBN 978-87-7694-104-8, ISBN 978-87-7694-105-5

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[1] Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī.

[NIAS_Press-2] Romero-Frias, Xavier (2012) Folk Tales of the Maldives, NIAS Press Archived 2013-05-28 at the Wayback Machine , ISBN 978-87-7694-104-8, ISBN 978-87-7694-105-5

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