Vaavu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives, comprising the natural atolls of Felidhu Atoll and the Vattaru Reef.
Vaavu Atoll | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of Vaavu in Maldives | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Corresponding geographic atoll(s) | Felidhu Atoll |
| Location | 3° 41' N and 3° 13' N |
| Capital | Felidhoo |
| Government | |
| • Atoll Chief | Ali Rasheed Abdul Rahman [1] |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,601 |
| Letter code | J |
| Dhivehi letter code | V (ވ) |
| • Number of islands | 19 |
| • Inhabited islands | Felidhoo * Fulidhoo * Keyodhoo * Rakeedhoo * Thinadhoo |
| • Uninhabited islands | Aarah, Alimathaa, Anbaraa, Bodumohoraa, Dhiggiri, Fussfaruhuraa, Hingaahuraa, Hulhidhoo, Kuda-anbaraa, Kudhiboli, Kunavashi, Maafussaru, Medhugiri, Thunduhuraa, Raggadu, Ruhhurihuraa, Vashugiri, Vattaru, Fottheyo |
| Resort islands(*), airports(¤) and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited. | |
It is the smallest administrative atoll in the Maldives in terms of population.
This atoll is located 40 miles (64 km) from the capital Malé, 60 minutes by speedboat, and 3 hours by dhoni.
The Vaavu Atoll administrative division includes two geographical atolls: Felidhu Atoll and the small egg-shaped Vattaru Reef, which has only one little islet, Vattaru, and is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) in diameter.
The easternmost geographical point of the Maldives is located at Fottheyo Muli, close to Foththeyo-bodufushi Island.[1]
No remains from the Buddhist period have been found on this atoll.
Geography
Inhabited islands
| Name | Population[2] | Coordinates | Geographic Atoll | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felidhoo | 489 | 3°28′18″N 73°32′50″E / 3.47167°N 73.54722°E[3] | Felidhu Atoll | |
| Fulidhoo | 324 | 3°40′49″N 73°24′57″E / 3.68028°N 73.41583°E[4] | Felidhu Atoll | |
| Keyodhoo | 635 | 3°27′43″N 73°33′00″E / 3.46194°N 73.55000°E[5] | Felidhu Atoll | |
| Rakeedhoo | 101 | 3°18′53″N 73°28′11″E / 3.31472°N 73.46972°E[6] | Felidhu Atoll | |
| Thinadhoo | 73 | 3°29′15″N 73°32′17″E / 3.48750°N 73.53806°E[7] | Felidhu Atoll |
Resort islands
Resort islands are classified as Uninhabited Islands which have been converted to become resorts. As of 2017, Vaavu has two resorts with 434 beds.[8] The following are the resort islands, with the official name of the resort.
| Name | Resort Name | Coordinates[9] | Geographic Atoll | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alimathaa | Alimatha Aquatic Resort | 3°35′37″N 73°29′52″E / 3.59361°N 73.49778°E | Felidhu Atoll | |
| Dhiggiri | Dhiggiri Tourist Resort | 3°38′42″N 73°29′14″E / 3.64500°N 73.48722°E | Felidhu Atoll |
Notes
Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Vaavu) 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).[10]
References
- Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā Qaumī Markazu. Reprint 1958 edn. Malé 1990.
- Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī.
- Romero-Frias, Xavier. The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999.
External links
3°28′19″N 73°32′49″E / 3.47194°N 73.54694°E