Gaafaru (Kaafu Atoll)
Gaafaru (Dhivehi: ގާފަރު) is one of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll, the only island of the natural atoll known as Gaafaru.
Gaafaru | |
|---|---|
.JPG.webp) Gaafaru Atoll (Landsat image) | |
  Gaafaru Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 04°44′10″N 73°29′55″E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Administrative atoll | Kaafu Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 62.03 km (38.54 mi) |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 0.525 km (0.326 mi) |
| • Width | 0.450 km (0.280 mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
Geography
The island is 62.03 km (39 mi; 33 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[1]
Gahaafaru Atoll
Gahaafaru or Gaafaru (Northern Reef) is a large elliptical reef with only a small inhabited island at its eastern end. This reef has proved disastrous to many vessels. Gaafaru reef is as much a separate atoll as Goifulhafehendhu Atoll or Rasdhukuramathi Atoll which are similar in structure and size. It is separated from Kagi (the northernmost island of North Malé Atoll) by a narrow but deep channel - the Gaafaru Kandu. Its lagoon has an average depth of 16 fathoms (30 m) and has no coral patches or shoals in its centre. Gaafaru is a small island surrounded by a big reef.
Demography
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 800 | — |
| 2014 | 1,354 | +69.2% |
| 2017 | 1,449 | +7.0% |
| 2018 | 1,472 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 1,503 | +2.1% |
| 2006-2019: Census populations Source: [2] | ||
References
- "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh. Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā l 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.l