Gaafu Alif Atoll

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Gaafu Alifu Atoll
atoll of the Maldives
Gaafu Alif Atoll.png
Country Maldives
Corresponding geographic atoll(s)Huvadhu Atholhu Uthuruburi
Location0° 55' N and 0° 28' N
Capital Vilingili
Government
 • Atoll ChiefAbdulla Saeed
Population
 • Total8,334
Letter code
P
Dhivehi letter code
GA (ގއ)
 • Number of islands87
 • Inhabited islands Dhaandhoo * Dhevvadhoo * Dhiyadhoo * Gemanafushi Kanduhulhudhoo * Kolamaafushi * Kondey * Maamendhoo * Nilandhoo * Vilingili
 • Uninhabited islands Araigaiththaa, Baavandhoo, Baberaahuttaa, Bakeiththaa, Beyruhuttaa, Beyrumaddoo, Bihuréhaa, Boaddoo, Bodéhuttaa, Budhiyahuttaa, Dhevvalaabadhoo, Dhevvamaagalaa, Dhigémaahuttaa, Dhigudhoo, Dhigurah, Dhonhuseenahuttaa, Falhumaafushi, Falhuverrehaa, Farudhulhudhoo, Fénéhuttaa, Fenrahaa, Fenrahaahuttaa, Funadhoovillingili, Funamaddoo, Galamadhoo, Hadahaa, Haagevillaa, Hagedhoo, Heenamaagalaa, Hirihuttaa, Hithaadhoo, Hithaadhoogalaa, Hulhimendhoo, Hunadhoo, Hurendhoo, Idimaa, Innaréhaa, Kalhehuttaa, Kalhudhiréhaa, Kanduvillingili, Keesseyréhaa, Kendheraa, Koduhuttaa, Kondeymatheelaabadhoo, Kondeyvillingili, Kudalafari, Kuddoo, Kudhébondeyyo, Kudhéfehélaa, Kudhéhuttaa, Kureddhoo, Lhossaa, Maadhiguvaru, Maaféhélaa, Maagehuttaa, Maakanaarataa, Maamutaa, Maarandhoo, Maaréhaa, Mahaddhoo, Maththidhoo, Maththuréhaa, Médhuburiyaa, Médhuhuttaa, Medhuréhaa, Melaimu, Meradhoo, Minimensaa, Munaagala, Munandhoo, Odagallaa, Raaverrehaa, Rinbidhoo, Thinrukéréhaa, Uhéréhaa, Viligillaa, Vodamulaa
Resort islands(*), airports(¤) and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited.
A hotel on Hadahaa ALILA VILLAS HADAHAA 6 - panoramio.jpg
A hotel on Hadahaa

Gaafu Alifu (also known as Northern Huvadhu Atoll or Huvadhu Atholhu Uthuruburi) 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.

NOTE:Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Gaafu Alif) are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names of the natural atolls that make up these divisions. Some atolls are divided into two administrative divisions while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls. The order followed by the code letters is from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana alphabet used in Dhivehi. These code letters are not accurate from the geographical and cultural point of view. However, they have become popular among tourists and foreigners in the Maldives who find them easier to pronounce than the true atoll names in Dhivehi, (save a few exceptions, like Ari Atoll). [1]

History

Some of the ancient kings of Maldives traced their ancestry to certain families of Devvadu Island, located in the centre of the large lagoon. There are many Buddhist archaeological remains in Devvadū, mainly low hills left by ruined stupas. None of these ancient remains has been properly investigated yet.

In January 1959, the three southern atolls: Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu, were involved in setting up the breakaway United Suvadive Republic which survived until September 1963. The name of the secessionist state was taken from the ancient name of Huvadhu Atoll, "Suvadiva".

Related Research Articles

Huvadhu Atoll

Huvadhu is a large atoll located south of the Suvadiva Channel the Republic of Maldives. Etymologically it was called Suvadhinmathi or Suvadiva, with a total area of 3152 km², of which 38.5 km² is dry land. The atoll contains 255 islands, the most in the Maldives.

Atolls of the Maldives Physical geographic entity

The Maldives are formed by 26 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.

Faafu Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Faafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives.

Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll Place in Maldives

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

Haa Dhaalu Atoll atoll of the Maldives

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

Noonu Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Noonu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives corresponding to the southern section of Miladhunmadulu Atoll. The capital is Manadhoo. Total population of Noonu Atoll is around 10,000 people.

Raa Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Raa Atoll is an administrative division from the Maldives. The capital is Ungoofaaru. It includes Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll proper and the island of Alifushi.

Baa Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Baa Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of three separate natural atolls, namely southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll, the Fasdūtherē Atoll and the smaller natural atoll known as Goifulhafehendhu Atoll.

Lhaviyani Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Lhaviyani Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. Its abbreviation is Lh.

Vaavu Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Vaavu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives, comprising the natural atolls of Felidhu Atoll and the Vattaru Reef.

Meemu Atoll atoll of the Maldives

Mulaku Atoll or Meemu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name, also known as Mulak Atoll or 'Mulakatolhu'.

Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll atoll of the Maldives

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 was Vaadhoo but it has been changed to Thinadhoo. There are 153 islands in this district, 10 of which are inhabited. This district is located about 340 kilometres south of the capital Malé.

Gnaviyani Atoll Atoll of the Maldives

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 in the Equatorial Channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll.

Vaadhoo is one of the inhabited islands of Southern Huvadhu Atoll, in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll administrative division.

Dhevvadhoo or Devvadū is one of the inhabited islands of the administrative division known as Northern Huvadhu Atoll.

Kondey or Kondē is one of the inhabited islands of Northern Huvadhu Atoll, administrative code Gaafu Alifu.

Villingili is one of the inhabited islands of Gaafu Alif Atoll.

Administrative divisions of the Maldives

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, 17 atolls and 4 cities in the Maldives.

Gan is one of the uninhabited islands of Southern Huvadhu Atoll, in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll administrative division of the Maldives and is the largest natural island in Huvadhu Atoll.

Kooddoo or Koodoo is one of the inhabited islands of Gaafu Alif Atoll, in the Maldives.

References

  1. ↑ Tim Godfrey, Atlas of the Maldives, Atoll Editions 2004

Coordinates: 0°43′45″N73°19′52″E / 0.729198°N 73.331°E / 0.729198; 73.331

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