Gaafu Dhaalu (also known as Southern Huvadhu Atoll or Huvadhu Atholhu Dhekunuburi, ހުވަދުއަތޮޅު ދެކުނުބުރި) is an administrative district of the Maldives formed by the southwestern section of

Huvadhu Atoll 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 ...

. It was created on February 8, 1962 when

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 ( Thenadhoo ). There are 153 islands in this district, 10 of which are inhabited. This district is located about 340 kilometers south of the capital Malé. Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Gaafu Dhaalu) 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 Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, may refer to: *Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands. *Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Republic of Maldives ...

. 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).

History

Historically the Huvadu atoll chief had a great measure of self-government. He even had the privilege, not granted to any other atoll chief of the Maldives, to fly his own flag in his vessels and at his residence. In January 1959, the three southern atolls:

Huvadhu 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 ...

Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah (Dhivehi: ފުވައްމުލައް) is an island (atoll) in the Maldives. It is under Maldives’ administrative divisions of Gnaviyani Atoll or Nyaviyani Atoll. The inhabitants speak a distinctive form of the Dhivehi language, known as ...

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 this atoll. In some islands, like Gaddhū, there was opposition to the secession, and by means of threats and arson, the groups of people opposing the Suvadive state were forced to agree. Havaru Thinadhoo was burnt down by soldiers sent by then Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir from Malé during the secession in 1962, after which it was left uninhabited for four whole years. The

Kaadedhdhoo Domestic Airport Kaadedhdhoo Airport is a domestic airport on the island of Kaadedhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu (South Huvadhu) atoll, Maldives. The airport is located south of Thinadhoo. It was opened on 10 December 1993, by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Facilit ...

, located on the formerly uninhabited island of Kaadedhdhoo was opened in 1993. In 2006 the Tourism Ministry of Maldives released the island of

Vatavarrehaa Gaafu Dhaalu (also known as Southern Huvadhu Atoll or Huvadhu Atholhu Dhekunuburi, ހުވަދުއަތޮޅު ދެކުނުބުރި) is an administrative district of the Maldives formed by the southwestern section of Huvadhu Atoll. It was created o ...

for tourist resort development. A 150 bed resort is planned, this is the first resort to be built in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

Archaeology

There are important Buddhist Archaeological remains in the Islands of

Fiyoaree Fiyoaree or Fiori (Dhivehi: ފިޔޯރީ) is one of the inhabited islands of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives. History Women of this island used to weave mats of lesser quality than those of Gaddu, but in larger quantities. Archaeology There are size ...

, Gan, Vādū and others. These ruins consist mainly of large ruined

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

s. The stupa in

Gan The word Gan or the initials GAN may refer to: Places *Gan, a component of Hebrew placenames literally meaning "garden" China * Gan River (Jiangxi) * Gan River (Inner Mongolia), * Gan County, in Jiangxi province * Gansu, abbreviated ''Gā ...

was partially explored by Thor Heyerdahl's archaeologists in recent test-excavations. However, all other ruins have not been well researched yet.

References

* *Hasan A. Maniku. ''The Islands of Maldives''. Novelty. Male 1983. *Bell, H.C.P. ''The Maldive islands. Monograph on the History, Archaeology and Epigraphy''. Reprint 1940 edn. Malé 1986. * Xavier Romero-Frias, ''The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom''. Barcelona 1999. *Skjølsvold, Arne. ''Archaeological Test-Excavations On The Maldive Islands.'' The Kon-Tiki Museum Occasional Papers, Vol. 2. Oslo 1991.

External links

Ministry of Atolls Development

{{coord, 0, 25, N, 73, 10, E, display=title, region:MV_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki Atolls of the Maldives Administrative atolls of the Maldives