Haa Alif Atoll

Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi ތިލަދުންމަތީ އުތުރުބުރި
Atoll
Haa Alif Atoll
Utheemu Ganduvaru in Utheemu Island. Utheemu Ganduvaru in Utheemu Island.
Haa Alif Atoll in Maldives.
Country	Maldives
Capital	Dhidhdhoo
Geographic atolls	2 atolls Ihavandhippolhu North Thiladhunmathi
Government
• Council	North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council
Population (2006)
• Total	12,939
Time zone	MST (UTC+05:00)
Assigned Letter	A
Assigned Letter (Dhivehi)	ހއ
Area code(s)	650, 20
ISO 3166 code	MV-07
Inhabited	14 - Baarah * Dhidhdhoo * Filladhoo * Hoarafushi * Ihavandhoo * Kelaa * Maarandhoo * Mulhadhoo * Muraidhoo * Thakandhoo * Thuraakunu * Uligamu * Utheemu * Vashafaru
Uninhabited	29 - Alidhoo, Alidhuffarufinolhu, Beenaafushi, Berinmadhoo, Dhapparuhura, Dhigufaruhura, Dhonakulhi, Gaafushi, Gaamathikulhudhoo, Gallandhoo, Govvaafushi, Hathifushi, Huvahandhoo, Innafinolhu, Kandaalifinolhu, Kudafinolhu, Maafahi, Maafinolhu, Maarandhoofarufinolhu, Madulu, Manafaru, Matheerah, Medhafushi, Mulidhoo, Naridhoo, Umareifinolhu, Un'gulifinolhu, Van'gaaru, Velifinolhu
Total	43
Website	Haa Alif Atoll

Haa Alif Atoll (also known as Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll or Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi) is the northernmost of the 19 administrative atolls of the Maldives.

Geographically, this atoll consists of Ihavandhippolhu, the northernmost geographical atoll of the Maldive archipelago, and the northern section of Thiladhunmathi atoll, which was administratively divided into northern and southern divisions in 1958. The atoll's official name, 'North Thiladhunmathi' is in reference to this division. Today, Haa Alif Atoll contains 43 islands, 14 of which are inhabited and classified as 'island-class' constituencies. Haa Alif Atoll is the third-largest atoll in the Maldives in terms of population and land area.

The capital of Haa Alif Atoll, and the location of the Secretariat of North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council is the island of Dhidhdhoo.

History

In Matheerah there is a famous shrine (ziyaraiy, mausoleum) which was visited formerly by the Maldive kings and their families in order to seek blessings. Such tomb visits are aspects of Sufism that existed among the Maldivians until very recent times. Hence this island was referred to with the honorific title Matheerahffulhu (High (noble) Island) by the Sufi Muslims of the Maldives at that time.

Traditionally the northernmost atoll of the Maldives was Minicoy (Maliku). Fishermen from Thuraakunu and from Minicoy often crossed the Maliku Kandu on their boats to visit each other's islands. Marriage alliances were common. Now Minicoy is a part of India and communication is highly restricted.

Islands

Haa Alif Atoll contains 43 islands. 14 of them are inhabited, and are classified as administrative island constituencies. Each of these constituencies have an 'island council' which responds to the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council.

Map

Alidhoo Alidhuffarufinolhu Beenaafushi Berinmadhoo Dhapparuhura Dhigufaruhura Dhonakulhi Gaafushi Gaamathikulhudhoo Gallandhoo Govvaafushi Hathifushi Huvahandhoo Innafinolhu Kandaalifinolhu Kudafinolhu Maafahi Maafinolhu Maarandhoofarufinolhu Madulu Manafaru Matheerah Medhafushi Mulidhoo Naridhoo Umareifinolhu Un'gulifinolhu Van'gaaru Velifinolhu Baarah Dhidhdhoo Filladhoo Hoarafushi Ihavandhoo Kelaa Maarandhoo Mulhadhoo Muraidhoo Thakandhoo Thuraakunu Uligamu Utheemu Vashafaru

Island constituencies

Name	Population (2006)	Education	Health	Political ward	Remarks
Baarah	1,203	K-10	1 health centre	A03 Baarah
Dhidhdhoo	2,512	K-11	1 hospital	A04 Dhidhdhoo	Capital of Atoll
Filladhoo	548	K-10	1 health centre	A05 Kelaa
Hoarafushi	2,204	K-12	1 health centre	A01 Hoarafushi
Ihavandhoo	2,447	K-12	1 health centre	A02 Ihavandhoo
Kelaa	1,200	K-10	1 health centre	A05 Kelaa
Maarandhoo	530	K-10	1 health centre	A02 Ihavandhoo
Mulhadhoo	172	K-8	1 health provider	A02 Ihavandhoo
Muraidhoo	451	K-10	1 health centre	A03 Baarah
Thakandhoo	340	K-9	1 health centre	A03 Baarah
Thuraakunu	347	K-10	1 health centre	A01 Hoarafushi	Northernmost island in the country.
Uligamu	267	K-10	1 health centre	A01 Hoarafushi
Utheemu	521	K-10	1 health centre	A03 Baarah	Location of iconic Utheemu Ganduvaru.
Vashafaru	471	K-12	1 health centre	A05 Kelaa

Uninhabited Islands

All uninhabited islands in Haa Alif Atoll are under the control of the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council.

Name	Current usage	Coordinates	Remarks
Alidhoo	Resort (Operational)		Resort: Cinnamon Island Alidhoo
Alidhuffarufinolhu	-
Beenaafushi	-
Berinmadhoo	Resort (Development)		Was previously inhabited. Population relocated to Hoarafushi.
Dhapparuhura	-
Dhigufaruhura	-
Dhonakulhi	Resort (Operational)		Resort: Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa Maldives
Gaafushi	-
Gaamathikulhudhoo	-
Gallandhoo	-
Govvaafushi	-
Hathifushi	-		Was previously inhabited. Population relocated to Hanimaadhoo.
Huvahandhoo	-
Innafinolhu	-
Kandaalifinolhu	-
Kudafinolhu	-
Maafahi	Fisheries		Leased for long-term fisheries and agriculture.
Maafinolhu	-
Maarandhoofarufinolhu	-
Madulu	Agriculture		Leased for long-term fisheries and agriculture.
Manafaru	Resort (Operational)		Resort: The Beach House Iruveli (Waldorf Astoria Maldives)
Matheerah	-
Medhafushi	Agriculture		Leased for long-term fisheries and agriculture.
Mulidhoo	-
Naridhoo	Resort (Development)
Umareifinolhu	-
Un'gulifinolhu	-
Van'gaaru	-
Velifinolhu	-

Disappeared Islands

These are islands which during recorded history, have been completely eroded away, claimed by the sea due to the sea-level rise associated with global warming or assimilated by other islands.

• Gasthirifinolhu
• Gudhanfushi
• Huraa
• Nasfaru
• Thiladhoo (merged into Dhidhdhoo, it was after this island that the atoll got its name of 'Thiladhunmathi')
• Thinadhoo

Atoll Council

North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council
Type
Type	Atoll council
Leadership
President	Ahmed Rishwan, MDP
Seats	10
Meeting place
Secretariat of the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council, Shaariu’l Ameen, Dhidhdhoo
Website
www.halifatoll.gov.mv

North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the Haa Alif Atoll. The council was created in 2011, with the enactment of the Decentralization Bill, which saw the introduction of local governance to the country.

The atoll is divided up into 5 political wards each with two councillors.

Members

Ward	Code	Name	First elected	Party
Hoarafushi	A01	Abdul-Hannaan Ahmed Fulhu	2011	MDP
Hoarafushi	A01	Ibrahim Rasheed	2011	MDP
Ihavandhoo	A02	Mohamed Rasheed	2011	MDP
Ihavandhoo	A02	Abdullah Hussain	2011	MDP
Baarah	A03	Hussain Naseer	2011	DRP
Baarah	A03	Hussain Rasheed	2011	DRP
Dhidhdhoo	A04	Yoosuf Siraj	2011	MDP
Dhidhdhoo	A04	Ahmed Rishwan	2011	MDP
Kelaa	A05	Adam Thahzeem	2011	DRP
Kelaa	A05	Mohamed Fayaz	2011	DRP

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.