Raa Atoll
Raa Atoll | |
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Ungoofaaru * Vaadhoo | |
• Uninhabited islands | Aarah, Arilundhoo, Badaveri, Bodufarufinolhu, Bodufenmaaenboodhoo, Bodufushi, Boduhaiykodi, Boduhuraa, Ekurufushi, Etthingili, Dhigali, Dhoragali, Dheburidheythereyvaadhoo, Dhikkurendhdhoo, Dhinnaafushi, Dhuvaafaruhuraa, Faarafushi, Fasmendhoo, Fenfushi, Fuggiri, Furaveri, Gaaudoodhoo, Giraavaru, Goyyafaru, Guboshi, Hiraveri, Hulhudhoo, Huruvalhi, Ifuru, Kaddogadu, Kandholhudhoo, Kothaifaru, Kottafaru, Kottefaru, Kudafushi, Kudahaiykodi, Kudakurathu, Kudalhosgiri, Kudathulhaadhoo, Kukulhudhoo, Kuroshigiri, Lhaanbugali, Lhaanbugau, Lhohi, Liboakandhoo, Lundhufushi, Maafaru, Maamunagaufinolhu, Maanenfushi, Maashigiri, Madivaafaru, Mahidhoo, Meedhupparu, Muravandhoo, Mullaafushi, Neyo, Thaavathaa, Ufulandhoo, Ugulu, Uthurumaafaru, Vaffushihuraa, Vandhoo, Veyvah, Viligili, Wakkaru |
Resort islands(*), airports(¤) and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited. |
Raa Atoll (also known as Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll or Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi) is an
1.
2. Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll is 35 miles (56 km) in length from N to S, and 15 miles (24 km) across at its broadest part. Its western fringe is composed of a series of round or oval reefs (farus) irregularly placed (a feature peculiar to all the larger Northern Atolls). The centre is heavily dotted with coral patches (giri), some submerged and some awash. The concentration of giri is especially dense towards its SW quarter, close to Kandholhudhu Island (where there is the place most crowded with small reefs and shoals in the whole Maldives), but its narrower northern end is quite clear of reefs. The general depths of the lagoon are from 23 to 27 fathoms (138 to 162 ft; 42 to 49 m).
The capital of Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll is
By 1942, there were 18 inhabited islands in the atoll. However, the residents of these 18 islands were relocated to nearby islands. By 17 October 1968, there were 17 inhabited islands in the atoll. In 1968 and 1967, the people of Ufulandhoo were relocated to Alifushi in the atoll under a government project. The project was to relocate people from islands who were under 50 years of age of mandatory prayer to other islands. People were relocated from Kudafushi because of the Second World War people died due to food shortages and hunger. The atoll chief governor found out that If people were not relocated to another island, they could not get more help, people would die and the village would become empty. The people of Kudafushi were relocated to their relatives islands by their requests. The islands that they were relocated are Meedhoo, Ufulandhoo and Maduvvari. On 17 October 1968 after people of Ufulandhoo transferred to Alifushi, they asked the government for permission to be relocated to Maduvvari. The government agreed and they moved to Maduvvari with their families. After the island of Ufulandhoo became uninhabited island, one of the 16 inhabited islands such as Ugulu and Gaaudoodhoo having difficulty of the lagoon for departure and because of the damages happening to the sea vessels and there is no space for housing as the islands become overpopulated, because of these reasons the people of Uruguay and Gaaudoodhoo wanted move to the island of Hulhudhuffaaru with compensation of having their personal belongings move to the island. The project of relocating the two island people to Hulhudhuffaaru started in 1992 and completed on 13 March 1993.
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
Alifushi, located at the northern end of the atoll, is an island which has been traditionally famous for its skilled boatbuilding carpenters. It now houses shipyards.
Moresby Channel (Hanikandu)
Hanikandu is the channel between
Tourism
Formerly this atoll was off-limits for tourists; since the late 1990s there was a change in government policy. The main tourist resort islands are Loama Maamigili and Meedhupparu.
References
- ^ Tim Godfrey, Atlas of the Maldives, Atoll Editions 2004
- 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.