Maliku Kandu and Māmalē Kandu Divehi are the traditional names of the broad Minicoy Channel between

Minicoy 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 ...

(Maliku in Dhivehi) and Ihavandippolhu (

Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll Haa Alif Atoll - officially referred as Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi (Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll) is the northernmost administrative division of the Maldives. As the administrative division known as Haa Alif it includes Ihavandhippolhu, the nort ...

) in the north of the

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

. The latter name is given after the

Malabar Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...

merchant Maamaley Marakkaaru who controlled most of the sea trade along this route before the arrival of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean.Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī. The

maritime boundary A maritime boundary is a conceptual division of the Earth's water surface areas using physiographic or geopolitical criteria. As such, it usually bounds areas of exclusive national rights over mineral and biological resources,VLIZ Maritime Bound ...

between the Maldives and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

runs through the channel. In the British

Admiralty charts Admiralty charts are nautical charts issued by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and subject to Crown Copyright. Over 3,500 Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and 14,000 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) are available with the Admir ...

it is called Eight Degree Channel. It is so named as it lies on the 8-degree line of Latitude, north of the

equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

. 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

(Maliku). Fishermen from

Thuraakunu Thuraakunu ( Dhivehi: ތުރާކުނު) is the northernmost island in Maldives, one of the fourteen inhabited islands of Haa Alif Atoll and is geographically part of the ''Ihavandhippolhu'' Atoll in the Maldives. It is an island-level administra ...

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

and communication between Minicoy and Maldives by sea is highly restricted.

References

Xavier Romero-Frias Xavier or Xabier may refer to: Place * Xavier, Spain People * Xavier (surname) * Xavier (given name) * Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint ** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation) * St. Xavier (disambiguation) * Xavier (footballer, born ...

, ''The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom.'' 1999, {{Coord, 8, 00, 00, N, 73, 00, 00, E, region:LK_type:waterbody, display=title Channels of the Maldives Channels of the Indian Ocean Landforms of Lakshadweep India–Maldives border International straits Straits of India