Aarah (North Male Atoll)
| Aarah | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Waters |
Lakkadive Sea ( Indian Ocean ) |
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| Archipelago |
North Malé Atoll , Maldives |
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| Geographical location | 4 ° 13 '49 " N , 73 ° 29' 40" E | |
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| length | 360 m | |
| width | 200 m | |
| surface | 5.7 ha | |
Aarah (also Aramh ) is an island in the Maldives in the North Malé Atoll . Administratively it belongs to the Kaafu administrative region . It has an area of 5.7 ha , 2.0 ha of which is from land reclamation .
The 200 × 360 meter island is centrally located in the southern part of the atoll; about 6 kilometers north of the main island of Malé . The neighboring islands are Kurumba (Vihamanaafushi) in the east, Feydhoofinolhu in the southwest and Bandos and Kudabandos in the north.
On Aarah is the holiday residence of the former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom , who had the facility built for himself and his family during his reign. Aarah was extremely controversial among the population, as many Maldivians were of the opinion that due to the shortage of land, the president should not have the right to own an island in a prime location near the capital as a second home alone with his family. Since President Gayoom also had a new, luxurious official residence ( Theemuge ) built directly in the city of Malé , critics of the President saw Aarah as an example of his self-enrichment and waste of state funds. President Mohamed Nasheed , who also received Aarah as Gayoom's successor, decided not to use the island as a residence. Since then, Aarah has mainly been used for cultural festivals.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Isles: Aaraj
- ↑ Oliver Arndt: Maledives - Geography of an island state, p. 155