Alifushi atoll

Alifushi atoll
NASA satellite image of Alifushi Atoll
Waters	Lakkadive Sea (Indian Ocean)
archipelago	Maldives
Geographical location	5 ° 58 ′  N , 72 ° 57 ′  E Coordinates: 5 ° 58 ′  N , 72 ° 57 ′  E
Number of islands	2
Main island	Alifushi
Land area	69.3 ha
Residents	1974 (2006)

The Alifushi Atoll ( Dhivehi އަލިފުށި) is a very small natural atoll of the Maldives in the north of the administrative district Raa . It is also known as the Powell Islands after the British naval officer Lieutenant F. T. Powell and only includes the two islands of Alifushi (58.3 hectares ) and Ethigili (11.0 hectares).

The atoll is almost 3 km wide in a west-east direction and about 1.3 km long in a north-south direction. The distance to the capital Malé is approximately 210 km.

Only the main island Alifushi, which encompasses the east of the atoll, is inhabited . At 1000 × 800 meters, this is relatively large by Maldivian standards and had almost 2000 residents at the 2006 census. The island is famous for its carpenters and boat builders ; these are reputed to be the best in the country. In the 1980s, the government built a new boatyard on the island. Here, the modern diesel engine driven were dhonis developed, the longer time were viewed with suspicion by the locals, but are now indispensable in the country.

The second island, Etingili (also Etthingili ), is located in the northwest of the atoll, is much smaller and uninhabited.

The Alifushi Atoll, together with the North Maalhosmadulu Atoll located about five kilometers to the south, forms the administrative atoll ( administrative area ) Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi , with the short name of Thaanaރ( Raa ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Department of National Planning: Statistical Yearbook 2011: Table 3.3: POPULATION BY ISLANDS CENSUS 2000, 2006 ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ Wolfgang Därr: Malediven (= DuMont travel paperback ). DuMont-Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2010, ISBN 978-3-7701-7319-8 , pp. 209-210.