Shaviyani Atoll | |
---|---|
Country | Maldives |
Corresponding geographic atoll(s) | Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi |
Location | 6°30' N and 5°58' N |
Capital | Funadhoo |
Population | |
• Total | 12,091 noofislands=51 |
Letter code | C |
Dhivehi letter code | Sh (ށ) |
• Inhabited islands | Bileffahi * Feevah * Feydhoo * Foakaidhoo * Funadhoo * Goidhoo * Kanditheemu * Komandoo * Lhaimagu * Maaungoodhoo * Maroshi * Milandhoo * Narudhoo * Noomaraa |
• Uninhabited islands | Bis Huraa, Dhigu Rah, Dhiguvelldhoo, Dholhiyadhoo, Dholhiyadhoo Kudarah, Dhonveli-huraa, Ekasdhoo, Eriyadhoo, Farukolhu, Fushifarurah, Gaakoshinbi, Gallaidhoo, Hirubadhoo, Hurasfaruhuraa, Kabaalifaru, Keekimini, Killissafaruhuraa, Kudalhaimendhoo, Madidhoo, Madikurendhdhoo, Mathikomandoo, Medhurah, Medhukunburudhoo, Migoodhoo, Naainfarufinolhu, Nalandhoo, Naruibudhoo, Neyo, Vagaru, Firubaidhoo, Maakadhoodhoo |
Resort islands(*), airports(¤) and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited. |
Shaviyani Atoll, which is known by its abbreviated name [1] (also known as Northern Miladhunmadulu Atoll or Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi), is an Administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the northern section of the natural Miladhunmadulu Atoll, [2] located in the north of the Maldives.
On 26 October 2009, the government decided to move the capital of Shaviyani Atoll from Funadhoo to Milandhoo, citing more ease for the people. However, this decision was overruled by parliament in June 2010, and Funadhoo was reinstated as the capital of the atoll, much to the dismay of both the government and the people of Milandhoo. [3] This decision was vetoed by President Nasheed, and Milandhoo continued as the seat of the atoll office. The issue surfaced once again on February 26, 2011 when home rule was introduced into the country and the atoll offices were to be rebranded as the secretariats for the newly formed atoll councils. According to the Decentralization Bill, under which the councils were formed, the respective secretariats were to be seated in the capital islands of each atoll as stipulated in the new constitution of 2008, which in Shaviyani Atoll's case is Funadhoo. [4] In the first atoll council meeting, it was decided to move the secretariat from Milandhoo to Funadhoo, as per the law states. The government responded with threats to dissolve the council if the move is followed through, [5] and appealed the order of the Funadhoo Magistrate Court to carry out the move. On March 1, after the Milandhoo Magistrate Court ordered the work of the secretariat to return to Milandhoo, an order backed by the President, riot police was deployed to Funadhoo to "urge the council to respect the court order" issued by Milandhoo. [6] The following day, the Supreme Court of the Maldives ruled that the Milandhoo court order was invalid and that the Funadhoo court order was, a ruling which the government and Milandhoo did not accept. [7] On April 6, the parliament overrode the initial presidential veto on the capital island legislature, and declared Funadhoo as the legitimate capital island. [8] In 2012, all of the materials used in Milandhoo were transferred to Funadhoo.
It is notable that as of 2013, the official website of the President's Office does not display an address for the Shaviyani Atoll Council.
This administrative atoll is 37 miles long, it is the third atoll from the northern edge of the country, and It comprises 51 islands of which 16 are inhabited. The islands in this atoll are small with half of the islands having less than 20 hectares (49.4 acres) of land area. There are 9 islands that are smaller than one hectare (2.49 acres). These islands comprise 18% of the islands. The smallness of the atoll indicates to the islands' vulnerability to environmental impacts.
The population of the atoll is 12,091 as of the 2014 census.
Fishing and agriculture form the mainstay of the atoll's economy. Fishing is engaged in throughout the year, with pole, line and reef fishing practised in various islands in the atoll. The atoll is also known for craftsmanship, such as mat and rope weaving.
Several inhabitants work in the tourism industry and other commercial trades in the Maldivian capital, Malé. The biggest employer in Shaviyani Atoll's tourism sector is Sirru Fen Fushi. [9]
The atoll is assigned the Maldivian letter 'Shaviyani' and the Latin letter 'C' as the atoll code. The atoll Council is responsible for public services, development and economic affairs. The Shaviyani Atoll Office was established on 9 September 1958 by the state. Until 1 January 1968, the atoll office was located in Lhaimagu which was the capital of the atoll. The government declared that effective from 1 January 1968, the capital would be Farukolhu Funadhoo (Funadhoo) and hence, the atoll office was transferred to Funadhoo.
Basic medical care was introduced in the atoll with the establishment of a health centre on 25 December 1970 in the island of Lhaimagu. This health centre was shifted to Farukolhu Funadhoo (now Funadhoo) in 1971 when the island was made the atoll capital. This health centre is now developed to Atoll Hospital which has a well equipped laboratory and operation theater facilities and are manned by a gynecologist, anesthetist and a general practitioner. Other than Atoll Hospital, there are 13 Health Centre in the atoll with Doctor and Nurses.
Majority of the population of the atoll have access to safe drinking water. Around 99% of the households have been provided with water storage tanks on tsunami recovery program. Most households have safe sanitation facilities.
Primary education is universal in all inhabited islands of Shaviyani Atoll. All the schools in the atoll providing education to Grade 10. And the Atoll Education Centre, Atoll School provide education to Grade 12. Most of the secondary schools yet offer only commerce stream subjects. The schools which offer both the Science and Commerce stream subjects are the Shaviyani Atoll Education Centre in Komandoo, Atoll School in Kanditheemu, Funadhoo School and Milandhoo School. Some of the School introduce TVET programs to the students. Most schools have computer labs funded jointly by parents, government and the Shaviyani Atoll Development Project.
Thaana, Tãna, Taana or Tāna is the present writing system of the Maldivian language spoken in the Maldives. Thaana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet, with consonants derived from indigenous and Arabic numerals, and vowels derived from the vowel diacritics of the Arabic abjad. Maldivian orthography in Thaana is largely phonemic.
Trans Maldivian Airways (Pvt) Ltd. (TMA) is a private airline headquartered on the grounds of Velana International Airport in Malé, Maldives.
Faafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name.
Haa Alif Atoll - officially referred as Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi is the northernmost administrative division of the Maldives.
Noonu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives corresponding to the southern section of Miladhunmadulu Atoll. The capital is Manadhoo. The total population of Noonu Atoll according to Census 2022 is 12503 which is 2% of the national population.
Raa Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. The capital is Ungoofaaru. It includes Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll proper and the island of Dhuvaafaru. Raa Atoll has the highest number of populated islands in the Maldives.
Lhaviyani Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. Its abbreviation is Lh.
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'.
Gnaviyani Atoll is one of the administrative divisions of the Maldives corresponding to the natural atoll Fuvahmulah. Surfacewise, it is the smallest administrative unit in the Maldives, situated on the Equatorial Channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll.
Eydhafushi is the capital of Baa Atoll, which is an administrative division of the Maldives. The island is geographically located at the southern edge of Baa Atoll. It has the highest population in the atoll and most of the government offices and public facilities.
Thulhaadhoo is the second highest populated inhabited island of Baa Atoll.
Manadhoo is the capital of Noonu Atoll in the Maldives. Manadhoo is the third most populous island and the largest natural island in Noonu Atoll.
N.Velidhoo is one of the inhabited islands of Noonu Atoll in the Maldives. Information from Maldives bureau of statistics
Funadhoo is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division and geographically part of the Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives. Funadhoo is a very common Maldivian place name and is derived from the Dhivehi name for the tree Calophyllum inophyllum which grows on the shores of some islands. It is the administrative capital of Shaviyani Atoll.
Noomaraa is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division, and geographically part of the North Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives. The Island code is C2.
The culture of the Maldives is derived from a number of sources, the most important of which is its proximity to the shores of Sri Lanka and South India. The population is mainly Indo-Aryan from the anthropological point of view. Islam is considered the religion of the country and only Muslims can become legal citizens.
Several Dhivehi scripts have been used by Maldivians during their history. The early Dhivehi scripts fell into the abugida category, while the more recent Thaana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet. An ancient form of Nagari script, as well as the Arabic and Devanagari scripts, have also been extensively used in the Maldives, but with a more restricted function. Latin was official only during a very brief period of the Islands' history.
Haddhunmathi or LaamuAtoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. The administrative capital is Fonadhoo Island. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name. It is mostly rimmed by barrier reefs, the broadest of which are topped by islands. There are many islands along its eastern and southern boundaries. This atoll is quite regular excepting for the projection of the reef at its NE corner. It closely resembles Kolhumadulhu, its neighbour further north. Owing to its typical atoll shape, it differs in no respect from atolls in the Pacific Ocean, save for its greater size. Its reefs are generally of little breadth, with no signs of vilu, except for its eastern fringes which are covered with islands that are quite large by Maldivian standards. The lagoon is comparatively open, containing scattered shoal patches; the bottom is muddy and the average depth is from 30 to 34 fathoms.
Dhivehi Latin or Maldivian Latin, known colloquially as Malé Latin or Nasiri Latin, is a Latin Maldivian alphabet briefly mandated in the Maldives from 1976, but the country reverted to the native Thaana and Arabic alphabets in 1978. Maldivian Latin is still widely used in non-academic literature for romanizing Maldivian, however its rules are not strictly adhered to by most Maldivians.
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.