Kaafu Atoll

Kaafu Atoll
Country	Maldives
Corresponding geographic atoll(s)	Malé Atoll
Location	4°25′N 73°30′E / 4.417°N 73.500°E / 4.417; 73.500Coordinates: 4°25′N 73°30′E / 4.417°N 73.500°E / 4.417; 73.500
Capital	Thulusdhoo
Government
• Atoll chief	Mohamed Adam[1]
Population
• Total	9,886
Letter code	H
Dhivehi letter code	K (ކ)
• Number of islands	107
• Inhabited islands	Dhiffushi * Gaafaru * Gulhi * Guraidhoo * Himmafushi * Huraa * Kaashidhoo * Maafushi * Thilafushi * Thulusdhoo
• Uninhabited islands	Aarah, Akirifushi, Asdhoo, Baros, Bandos, Biyaadhoo, Bodubandos, Bodufinolhu, Boduhithi, Boduhuraa, Bolifushi, Dhigufinolhu, Dhoonidhoo, Ehrruh-haa, Enboodhoo, Enboodhoofinolhu, Eriyadhoo, Farukolhufushi, Feydhoofinolhu, Fihalhohi, Funadhoo, Furan-nafushi, Gasfinolhu, Giraavaru, Girifushi, Gulheegaathuhuraa, Helengeli, Henbadhoo, Huraagandu, Ihuru, Kagi, Kalhuhuraa, Kandoomaafushi, Kanduoih-giri, Kanifinolhu, KKanuhuraa, Kudabandos, Kudafinolhu, Kudahithi, Kudahuraa, Lankanfinolhu, Lankanfushi, Lhohifushi, Lhosfushi, Maadhoo, Madivaru, Mahaanaélhihuraa, Makunudhoo, Makunufushi, Maniyafushi, Medhufinolhu, Meerufenfushi, Nakachchaafushi, Olhahali, Olhuveli, Oligandufinolhu, Ran-naalhi, Rasfari, Thanburudhoo, Thulhaagiri, Vaadhoo, Vaagali, Vabbinfaru, Vabboahuraa, Vammaafushi, Velassaru, Velifaru, Veliganduhuraa, Vihamanaafushi, Villingilimathidhahuraa, Villingilivau, Ziyaaraiffushi
Resort islands, airports and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited.

Kaafu Atoll (also known as Malé Atholhu) is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of Kaashidhoo Island, Gahaafaru Atoll, and Malé Atoll (which includes the North Malé Atoll and the South Malé Atoll). It also has a number of uninhabited islands. Its capital is Thulusdhoo.

Malé, capital of the Maldives is naturally located within the North Malé Atoll, but it is not part of the Kaafu administrative division.

NOTE: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. 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).^[2]

Uninhabited islands

Although uninhabited, some islands of the atoll have commercial uses. These include

• Baros which was previously inhabited and abandoned only during the reign of Sultan Hassan Nooraddeen I for unknown reasons. It is now the home of the Baros Island Resort.^[3]
• Bodu Hithi which houses a 5-star Coco Palm resort.^[4]
• Dhoonidhoo which houses a detention unit.^[5]
• Farukolhufushi which housed a Club Med until the tsunami on December 26, 2004. Another resort named Club Faru^[6] opened here around the end of 2005.
• Ihuru on which is located a Maldivian 4 star resort, the "Angsana Resort and Spa Maldives"
• Kanifinolhu which houses a Club Med village (Club Med Kani),^[7] the only one on the atoll since the Club Med Faru on Farukolhufushi was destroyed.
• Lankanfinolhu which has been home to a tourist-resort called Paradise Island Resort^[8] since 1979.
• Dhigufinolhu which has housed a 5-star Maldivian resort, Anantara Dhigu Resort and Spa,^[9] since September 2006.
• Vihamanafushi was the first Island in the Maldives to be developed for Tourism, now called Kurumba Maldives being a 4.5 star Resort.^[10]

Gallery

Island of Lankanfushi from Lankanfinolhu- two of the tourist resorts  Malé, the capital of the Maldives, as viewed from Vilingilli island  Surfing at Lohi's Break, off Lhohifushi island  Beach on Biyaadhoo Island, 2014.

References

• Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh. Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā Qaumī Markazu. Reprint 1958 edn. Malé 1990.
• Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī.
• Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999.

First-level administrative divisions of the Maldives Atolls Haa Alif Haa Dhaalu Shaviyani Noonu Raa Baa Lhaviyani Kaafu Alif Alif Alif Dhaal Vaavu Meemu Faafu Dhaalu Thaa Laamu Gaafu Alif Gaafu Dhaalu Gnaviyani Cities Malé Addu