Dhidhdhoo (Haa Alif Atoll)

Dhidhdhoo (Dhivehi: ދިއްދޫ) is the capital of Haa Alif Atoll in the Maldives. It is an island-level administrative constituency governed by the Dhidhdhoo Island Council.

Dhidhdhoo

ދިއްދޫ
island
Dhidhdhoo
Location in Maldives
Coordinates: 6°53′24″N 73°6′24″E
CountryMaldives
Geographic atollThiladhunmathi Atoll
Administrative atollHaa Alif Atoll
Distance to Malé303.5 km (188.6 mi)
Government
 • CouncilDhidhdhoo Island Council
Dimensions
 • Length2 km (1 mi)
 • Width0.35 km (0.22 mi)
Population
 (2014)[1]
 • Total2,854 (including foreigners)
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (MST)
Area code(s)650, 20
For other islands see Dhiddhoo (disambiguation)

History

Historically, the island was uninhabited and was under the administration of Utheemu Gadhuvaru, a royal house in Utheemu. The island was inhabited around 19th century when the people of Dhonakulhi left their island to escape from the invasion of pirates from Malabar.

During the administration of President Mohamed Amin Didi, Dhidhdhoo refused to take part in the 'Uthuru Gadubadu', an uprising of the people of the northern atolls against the Amin Didi regime.

Geography

The island is 303.5 km (189 mi; 164 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[2] The island lies on the north western tip of Thiladhunmathi Atoll and is separated from the Ihavandhippolhu Atoll by the deep Gallandhoo Kandu channel.

Land reclamation

Originally, the island was 52 ha (130 acres) in size. After a land reclamation project initiated in 2010, the total land area of the island is now approximately 85 ha (210 acres). The land was reclaimed to cater for the needs of the growing population and industries. Being the capital, Dhidhdhoo is home to the largest population and is the economic trade hub of Haa Alif Atoll.

Demography
Historical population
YearPop.±%
2006 2,512—    
2014 2,651+5.5%
2006-2014: Census populations
Source: [3]

Governance

Dhidhdhoo Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the island Dhidhdhoo. The council was created in 2011, with the enactment of the Decentralization Bill, which saw the introduction of local governance to the country.

The majority of councilors, elected in the country's second local council elections in 2014, is from the PPM.[4] The third local election was held in 2017, that elected 5 members due to an amendment to Local Councils Laws. All five members were from Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) [5]

Council members
NameFirst electedPartyVotes
Ahmed Firaq2017MDP1138
Ali Hashim2017MDP1157
Zuhura2017MDP1122
Moosa Latheef2017MDP1235
Mohamed Hashim2017MDP1147

Economy

Dhidhdhoo continued to serve its people and the people around. It is the centre of trade and services in the North Thiladhnnmathi.

Culture

People of Dhidhdhoo has strong family relation with Minicoy Island of India (Maliku). This is evident even today as there are several Maliku families in Dhidhdhoo who carry the name of Maliku as their family name.

Among the dishes, Hithi (Hichaa bai) is one of the most special dish in Dhidhdhoo and mostly served during the month of Ramazaan. Like Hithi, Bondu is also a very popular candy prepared by people of Dhidhdhoo.

Sport

The people of Dhidhdhoo are very sport loving people. In 1990s there were two major leagues in which football was mainly played among the sounding islands:

  • Kelaa Sheikh Ibrahim Hadhanee Cup
    • A football league held once every two years. Participation is free, but restricted to teams within the atoll only.
  • Gazee Mohamed Hadhanee Cup.
    • A football league held once every two years. Participation is free, but restricted to teams within the atoll only.

These two leagues are now inactive and instead teams from Dhidhdhoo now play in the One Hundred Thousand Cup, held once every year by MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed

Clubs
  • Baarala sports Club
  • Asseyri Football Club
  • Dhidhdhoo Teenage Boys Sports CLub
  • Real T Sports Club
  • Naad Sports Club
  • BX Sports Club
  • Middle Sports Club

References
  1. "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 33. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  2. "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  3. "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  4. http://www.ppm.mv/
  5. https://mdp.org.mv/
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