Baa Atoll
| Baa Atoll | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Maldives |
| Corresponding geographic atoll(s) | Maalhosmadulu |
| Location | 5° 23' N and 4° 49' N |
| Capital | Eydhafushi |
| Government | |
| • Atoll chief | Mohamed Mahir [1] |
| Population | |
| • Total | 8,878 |
| Letter code | F |
| Dhivehi letter code | B (ބ) |
| • Number of islands | 75 |
| • Inhabited islands | Dharavandhoo * Dhonfanu * Eydhafushi * Fehendhoo * Fulhadhoo * Goidhoo * Hithaadhoo * Kamadhoo * Kendhoo * Kihaadhoo * Kudarikilu * Maalhos * Thulhaadhoo |
| • Uninhabited islands | Ahivaffushi, Aidhoo, Anhenunfushi, Bathalaa, Bodufinolhu, Boifushi, Dhakendhoo, Dhandhoo, Dhigufaruvinagandu, Dhunikolhu, Enboodhoo, Fehenfushi, Finolhas, Fonimagoodhoo, Fulhadhoorah kairi finonolhu, Funadhoo, Gaagandufaruhuraa, Gaavillingili, Gemendhoo, Hanifaru, Hanifarurah, Hibalhidhoo, Hirundhoo, Horubadhoo, Hulhudhoo, Innafushi, Kanifusheegaathu finolhu, Kanifushi, Kashidhoogiri, Keyodhoo, Kihaadhufaru, Kihavah-huravalhi, Kudadhoo, Kunfunadhoo, Landaa Giraavaru, Lunfares, Maaddoo, Maafushi, Maamaduvvari, Maarikilu, Madhirivaadhoo, Medhufinolhu, Mendhoo, Milaidhoo, Miriandhoo, Muddhoo, Muthaafushi, Nibiligaa, Olhugiri, Thiladhoo, Ufuligiri, Undoodhoo, Vakkaru, Velivarufinolhu, Veyofushee, Vinaneih-faruhuraa, Voavah |
| Resort islands, airports and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited. | |
Baa Atoll (also known as Southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll or Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi) is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of three separate natural atolls, namely southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll (which is 42 km long and 32 km wide and consists of 9 inhabited islands), the Fasdūtherē Atoll (wedged in between the two Maalhosmadulu Atolls and separated from north Maalhosmasdulu Atoll by Hani Kandu or Moresby Channel) and the smaller natural atoll known as Goifulhafehendhu Atoll (Horsburgh Atoll in the Admiralty charts).
Situated on the west of the Maldives atoll chain, it consists of 75 islands of which 13 are inhabited with a population of over 11,000 people. The remaining 57 islands are uninhabited, in addition to eight islands being developed as resorts.
Thulhaadhoo Island is traditionally well known for its lacquerwork handicrafts.
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 natural atolls that make up these divisions. Some atolls are divided into two administrative divisions while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls. The order followed by the code letters is from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana alphabet used in Dhivehi. These code letters are not 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).
Baa atoll consists in two roughly circular sub-atolls, separated by the narrow Kudarikilu Kandu channel. The total measures approximately 38 km wide (east-west) for 46 km long (north-south), covering a surface of 1 127 km2 surface.
The atoll is formed by 105 coral reefs, representing a reef surface of 263 km2. These reef surface in 61 islands provided with vegetation, and a variable number of sandy cays (between 4 and 14). Half (38) of these islands are less than 10 hectares, constituting less than 20% of the atoll lands.
...
Wikipedia