Ari atoll

Ari atoll
Satellite image of the Ari Atoll
Waters	Lakkadive Sea (Indian Ocean)
archipelago	Maldives
Geographical location	3 ° 52 ′  N , 72 ° 50 ′  E Coordinates: 3 ° 52 ′  N , 72 ° 50 ′  E
Number of islands	105
Main island	Mahibadhoo
length	89 km
width	30 km
Land area	69 km²
Lagoon area	2 252  km²
Residents	12,056 (2006)

The Ari Atoll (also Alif - or Alifu Atoll ; Dhivehi އ) Is one of the largest atoll of archipelago of Maldives . The 105 islands of the natural atoll extend in an almost rectangular shape over an area of ​​about 89 × 30 kilometers. The atoll had 12,056 inhabitants at the 2006 census. 1,780 of them lived on Mahibadhoo, the most populated island.

With a total area of ​​2252 km² including the lagoon and reef platform, the Ari Atoll is the third largest in the Maldives, after Boduthiladhunmathi ( Thiladhunmathi-Miladhunmadulu ) and the Huvadhu Atoll .

The atoll is located in the west of the Maldives. The northern part belongs to the Alif Alif Administrative Atoll (which also includes the Rasdhoo Atoll and Toddu Atoll), while the southern part forms the Alif Dhaal Administrative Atoll . The administrative division into a north and a south part took place in 1998.

The Ari Atoll is part of the area where tourism is promoted. The flight time from the capital, Male, is approximately 30 minutes by seaplane.

Thudufushi, a typical holiday resort of the Ari Atoll