Gnaviyani Atoll
Encyclopedia
Gnaviyani Atoll is one of the administrative divisions
of the Maldives
corresponding to the natural atoll, Fuvahmulah. Surfacewise this is the smallest administrative unit in the Maldives, situated in the Equatorial Channel
(Addu - Mulah Kandu) between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll
. Until the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen II, Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll
were considered as one Administrative division named Addumulah.
of the Maldives
. Some people due to lack of knowledge or as part of a prevailing misconception erroneously mention that Fuvahmulah is not an atoll. An island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely is what we call an atoll. In the distant past Fuvahmulah was a small coral atoll whose southern end was open at a spot called Diyarehifaando and the inside of the island was a saltwater lagoon forming a natural harbour. There is a spot in the southern end known as a Kudhuheraivali (the forest of the small islet), which indicates that there was a separate little island in that area in ancient times. But long ago the channel connecting the lagoon with the ocean was closed by massive coral boulders. Thus the inside of the island is lower than its edges. In time the inner lagoon lost its saltiness and all that remains today are two small lakes, wetlands and marshy taro fields. Therefore Fuvahmulah is a small Atoll that closed and filled in with silt, like Nukutavake in the Central Pacific.
, (2) Diguvāndo
(both stretching from East to West shore), (3) Hōdhado
, (5) Dhashokubaa
(both segmental) separated by, (4) Mādhado
(A diagonal strip of parallel width); whilst the other four divisions, which occupied the Southern part of the island consisted of two Eastern and Western strips, bisected into four wards, (6) Mālegan
and (8) Dūndigan
lying to East, (7) Miskimmago
and (9) Funādo
to West. The largest division among all is Dhadimago
. With time, some changes saw its way into existence. Nowadays, the number of wards has been reduced to eight, since the village of Dhashokubaa
was merged with Miskimmago
. Moreover, extension of some wards with time, brought its way into certain changes in area such as that of Hōdhado
. The northerly extension of the ward by time led to the land from Eastern strip of Diguvāndo
and some parts of that of Dhadimago
being claimed to the village. It was mainly the land consisting of agricultural fields and plantations to vegetation owned by the villagers of Dhadimago
and Diguvāndo
.
Administratively these divisions act as the replacement for islands in other atolls. For each ward a chief ('Katheeb') was appointed as in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the respective ward and held accountable for an Island chief. With the introduction of local government policy in the Maldives, an Island Council is to be elected for each ward of the island according to the Decentralisation act 2010. Also, an Atoll Council is to be elected for the atoll as a whole.
NOTE: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc.. (including Gnaviyani) 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 or contain half of an atoll (In case of Thiladhunmathi to Haa Alif, Haa Dhaal, Shaviyani and Noonu Atolls, Huvadhu Atoll to Gaafu Alifu and Gaafu Dhaalu Atolls and In case of half of Ari Atoll to Alifu Dhaalu Atoll), while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls (In case of Raa, Baa, Kaafu, Alifu Alifu and Vaavu Atolls). Some administrative divisions correspond to the same natural atoll too (In case of Lhaviyani, Meemu, Faafu, Dhaalu, Thaa, Laamu, Gnaviyani and Seenu Atolls). The order followed by the code letters are from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana
alphabet used in Dhivehi
. These code letters may not be 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).
Aware of the extent of this problem, Maldivian expert Mr. Ibrahim Luthfee wrote a book on Maldivian geography before he died. With this book, which is unfortunately available only in Divehi, the late Mr. Luthfee tried to clear a number of misconceptions that carelessly researched tourist publications have generalized even among Maldivians. Much of this article has been translated and adapted from his posthumous work.
Administrative divisions of the Maldives
The Administrative Divisions of the Maldives refers to the various units of government that provide local government services in the Maldives. According to the Decentralization Act 2010, the administrative divisions of the Maldives would consist of atolls, islands, and cities; each administered by...
of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
corresponding to the natural atoll, Fuvahmulah. Surfacewise this is the smallest administrative unit in the Maldives, situated in the Equatorial Channel
Addu Kandu
Addu Kandu, Dv. for "Addu Channel", is the traditional name of the broad channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll in the south of Maldives.In the British Admiralty charts it is called Equatorial Channel because the Equator passes through its midst....
(Addu - Mulah Kandu) between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
. Until the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen II, Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
were considered as one Administrative division named Addumulah.
Geography
The atoll of Fuvahmulah corresponding to this administrative division is the 25th natural atollAtoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. Some people due to lack of knowledge or as part of a prevailing misconception erroneously mention that Fuvahmulah is not an atoll. An island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely is what we call an atoll. In the distant past Fuvahmulah was a small coral atoll whose southern end was open at a spot called Diyarehifaando and the inside of the island was a saltwater lagoon forming a natural harbour. There is a spot in the southern end known as a Kudhuheraivali (the forest of the small islet), which indicates that there was a separate little island in that area in ancient times. But long ago the channel connecting the lagoon with the ocean was closed by massive coral boulders. Thus the inside of the island is lower than its edges. In time the inner lagoon lost its saltiness and all that remains today are two small lakes, wetlands and marshy taro fields. Therefore Fuvahmulah is a small Atoll that closed and filled in with silt, like Nukutavake in the Central Pacific.
Municipal Divisions
Fuvahmulah was traditionally divided into nine wards. From North to South these wards were: (1) DhadimagoDhadimago
Dhadimagu, is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is the largest division of the island, located on the north-west of the island.-Economy:...
, (2) Diguvāndo
Diguvāndo
Dhiguvaandu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is one of the largest districts in Fuvahmulah located just after Dhadimago. Apart from Dhadimago, the district also share borders with Hōdhado and Mādhado.-Economy:...
(both stretching from East to West shore), (3) Hōdhado
Hōdhado
Hoadhadu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. The district shares borders with Dhadimago, Diguvāndo and Mādhado. Hōdhado has been the smallest district in Fuvahmulah throughout history. During the late 20th century, the increase in population of the district led to pressure on...
, (5) Dhashokubaa
Dhashokubaa
Dhashokubaa is one of the traditional divisions in Fuvahmulah, Maldives....
(both segmental) separated by, (4) Mādhado
Mādhado
Maadhadu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. With changes over time, the district being a smaller division of the island from the beginning is the smallest district in Fuvahmulah...
(A diagonal strip of parallel width); whilst the other four divisions, which occupied the Southern part of the island consisted of two Eastern and Western strips, bisected into four wards, (6) Mālegan
Mālegan
Maalegan is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. This village stretches along the island fringe facing the Northeast sharing borders with Mādhado, Miskimmago, Funādo and Dūndigan..-Places of interest:...
and (8) Dūndigan
Dūndigan
Dhoondigan is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is the most populous district and the second largest by area. This village lies in the Southeastern corner of the island sharing borders with Mālegan and Funaadu.-Economy:...
lying to East, (7) Miskimmago
Miskimmago
Miskiymagu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. The former Dashokubai village was merged with Miskimmago.-Economy:Agriculture and Fishing along with white-collar jobs are the primary sources of income.-Places of interest:*Gn...
and (9) Funādo
Funādo
Funaadu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. This is the southernmost village of Fuvahmulah as well as one of the largest. The origin of its name lies in some large groves of the tree known locally as "Funa" that were located on its southern end.-Economy:Fishing and Agriculture...
to West. The largest division among all is Dhadimago
Dhadimago
Dhadimagu, is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is the largest division of the island, located on the north-west of the island.-Economy:...
. With time, some changes saw its way into existence. Nowadays, the number of wards has been reduced to eight, since the village of Dhashokubaa
Dhashokubaa
Dhashokubaa is one of the traditional divisions in Fuvahmulah, Maldives....
was merged with Miskimmago
Miskimmago
Miskiymagu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. The former Dashokubai village was merged with Miskimmago.-Economy:Agriculture and Fishing along with white-collar jobs are the primary sources of income.-Places of interest:*Gn...
. Moreover, extension of some wards with time, brought its way into certain changes in area such as that of Hōdhado
Hōdhado
Hoadhadu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. The district shares borders with Dhadimago, Diguvāndo and Mādhado. Hōdhado has been the smallest district in Fuvahmulah throughout history. During the late 20th century, the increase in population of the district led to pressure on...
. The northerly extension of the ward by time led to the land from Eastern strip of Diguvāndo
Diguvāndo
Dhiguvaandu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is one of the largest districts in Fuvahmulah located just after Dhadimago. Apart from Dhadimago, the district also share borders with Hōdhado and Mādhado.-Economy:...
and some parts of that of Dhadimago
Dhadimago
Dhadimagu, is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is the largest division of the island, located on the north-west of the island.-Economy:...
being claimed to the village. It was mainly the land consisting of agricultural fields and plantations to vegetation owned by the villagers of Dhadimago
Dhadimago
Dhadimagu, is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is the largest division of the island, located on the north-west of the island.-Economy:...
and Diguvāndo
Diguvāndo
Dhiguvaandu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. It is one of the largest districts in Fuvahmulah located just after Dhadimago. Apart from Dhadimago, the district also share borders with Hōdhado and Mādhado.-Economy:...
.
Administratively these divisions act as the replacement for islands in other atolls. For each ward a chief ('Katheeb') was appointed as in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the respective ward and held accountable for an Island chief. With the introduction of local government policy in the Maldives, an Island Council is to be elected for each ward of the island according to the Decentralisation act 2010. Also, an Atoll Council is to be elected for the atoll as a whole.
NOTE: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc.. (including Gnaviyani) are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names of the natural atolls
Atolls of the Maldives
The Maldives are formed by a number of natural atolls plus atolls in the form of a few islands and isolated reefs today which form a pattern stretching from 7 degrees 10' North to 0 degrees 45' South....
that make up these divisions. Some atolls are divided into two administrative divisions or contain half of an atoll (In case of Thiladhunmathi to Haa Alif, Haa Dhaal, Shaviyani and Noonu Atolls, Huvadhu Atoll to Gaafu Alifu and Gaafu Dhaalu Atolls and In case of half of Ari Atoll to Alifu Dhaalu Atoll), while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls (In case of Raa, Baa, Kaafu, Alifu Alifu and Vaavu Atolls). Some administrative divisions correspond to the same natural atoll too (In case of Lhaviyani, Meemu, Faafu, Dhaalu, Thaa, Laamu, Gnaviyani and Seenu Atolls). The order followed by the code letters are from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana
Thaana
Thaana, Taana or Tāna is the modern writing system of the Divehi language spoken in the Maldives. Taana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet , with consonants derived from indigenous and Arabic numerals, and vowels derived from the vowel diacritics of the Arabic abjad...
alphabet used in Dhivehi
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
. These code letters may not be 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).
Aware of the extent of this problem, Maldivian expert Mr. Ibrahim Luthfee wrote a book on Maldivian geography before he died. With this book, which is unfortunately available only in Divehi, the late Mr. Luthfee tried to clear a number of misconceptions that carelessly researched tourist publications have generalized even among Maldivians. Much of this article has been translated and adapted from his posthumous work.