Administrative division of the Maldives
Since the Decentralization Act of October 15, 2010, the following levels of administration exist:
- two "Cities" (Malé and Addu City )
- 19 atolls
- 189 islands
The Maldives are administratively divided into 19 districts and two cities, the capital district Malé and Addu City. These units of this administrative level are officially called atolls . However, they do not correspond to the atolls in the geographical sense, see atolls of the Maldives .
The administrative units called atoll (atholhu) have, in addition to their actual name, a Thaana letter as a code, sometimes supplemented by Alifu ( އ) for "north" (uthuruburi) or Dhaalu (ދ) for "south" (dhekunuburi) . Because of the unfamiliar letter names, tourists often confuse this code designation with the actual name.
From 2008, the administrative atolls were to be merged into seven provinces as part of the government's decentralization efforts, but these plans were stopped again in 2012 as a result of a change of government.
Official name | Latin | Thaana | book letter |
Code abbr. |
main place | Area in km² |
Pop. March 25, 2006 |
province |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi | Haa Alif | ހއ | A. | HA | Dhidhdhoo | ... | 13,495 | Mathi-Uthuru (Upper North) |
Thiladhunmathi Dhekunuburi | Haa Dhaalu | ހދ | B. | Hdh | Kulhudhuffushi | ... | 16,237 | Mathi-Uthuru (Upper North) |
Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi | Shaviyani | ށ | C. | Sh | Funadhoo | ... | 11,940 | Mathi-Uthuru (Upper North) |
Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi | Noonu | ނ | D. | N | Manadhoo | ... | 10,015 | Uthuru (North) |
Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi | Raa | ރ | E. | R. | Un'goofaaru | ... | 14,756 | Uthuru (North) |
Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi | Baa | ބ | F. | B. | Eydhafushi | ... | 9,578 | Uthuru (North) |
Faadhippolhu | Lhaviyani | ޅ | G | Lh | Naifaru | ... | 9,190 | Uthuru (North) |
Times | Male City | މާލެ | T | - | Henveiru | 5.798 | 103,693 | Times |
Male Atoll | Kaafu | ކ | H | K | Thulusdhoo | ... | 15,441 | Medhu-Uthuru (North Central) |
Ari Atoll Uthuruburi | Alif Alif | އއ | I. | AA | Rasdhoo | ... | 5,776 | Medhu-Uthuru (North Central) |
Ari Atoll Dhekunuburi | Alif Dhaal | އދ | U | Adh | Mahibadhoo | ... | 8,379 | Medhu-Uthuru (North Central) |
Felidhu Atoll | Vaavu | ވ | J | V | Fulidhoo | ... | 1,606 | Medhu-Uthuru (North Central) |
Mulak atoll | Meemu | މ | K | M. | Mule | ... | 4,710 | Medhu (Central) |
Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi | Faafu | ފ | L. | F. | Nilandhoo | ... | 3,765 | Medhu (Central) |
Nilandhe Atholhu Dhekunuburi | Dhaalu | ދ | M. | Ie | Kudahuvadhoo | ... | 4,967 | Medhu (Central) |
Kolhumadulu | Thaa | ތ | N | Th | Veymandoo | ... | 8,493 | Mathi-Dhekunu (Upper South) |
Haddhunmathi | Laamu | ލ | O | L. | Fonadhoo | ... | 11,990 | Mathi-Dhekunu (Upper South) |
Huvadhu Atholhu Uthuruburi | Gaafu Alif | ގއ | P | GA | Viligili | ... | 8,262 | Medhu-Dhekunu (South Central) |
Huvadhu Atholhu Dhekunuburi | Gaafu Dhaalu | ގދ | Q | GDh | Thinadhoo | ... | 11.013 | Medhu-Dhekunu (South Central) |
Fuvammulah | Gnaviyani | ޏ | R. | Gn | Fuvahmulah | 4.92 | 7,636 | Dhekunu (South) |
Addu City | Seenu | ސ | S. | S. | Hithadhoo | ... | 18,026 | Dhekunu (South) |
Maldives | ' | Times | 298 | 298,968 |
Planned provinces
The seven provinces were introduced as a superordinate administrative level in 2008, but were given up again in 2012. The capital Malé was not part of any of the seven provinces.
Province local name |
English name | consists of administrative atolls |
Capital | Location of the capital |
Area in km² |
population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mathi-Uthuru | Upper North | Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani | Kulhudhuffushi | Capital of the Haa Dhaalu Atoll | ... | 41,672 |
Uthuru | North | Noonu, Raa, Baa, Lhaviyani | Felivaru | Lhaviyani Atoll | ... | 43,539 |
Times | Times | Times | Times | Times | ... | 103,693 |
Medhu-Uthuru | North Central | Kaafu, Alifu Alifu, Alifu Dhaalu, Vaavu | Maafushi | Kaafu Atoll | ... | 31.202 |
Medhu- | Central | Meemu, Faafu, Dhaalu Atoll | Kudahuvadhoo | Capital of Dhaalu Atoll - | ... | 13,442 |
Mathi-Dhekunu | Upper South | Thaa, Laamu | Gan | Laamu Atoll | ... | 20,483 |
Medhu-Dhekunu | South Central | Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu | Thinadhoo | Capital of the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll | ... | 19,275 |
Dhekunu | South | Gnaviyani, Seenu | Hithadhoo | Capital of the Seenu Atoll (Addu Atoll) | ... | 25,662 |
Maldives | Times | Capital district | 298 | 298,968 |
The seven provinces are closely based on seven historical island regions:
- Uthuru Boduthiladhunmathi
- Dhekunu Boduthiladhunmathi
- Uthuru Medhu-Raajje
- Medhu-Raajje
- Dhekunu Medhu-Raajje
- Huvadhu (or Uthuru Suvadinmathi)
- Addumulakatholhu (or Dhekunu Suvadinmathi).
Administrative atolls with associated geographic atolls
The following table lists the 19 administrative atolls and the two cities with their respective geographic atolls. In exactly eight cases, an administrative atoll corresponds exactly to a geographical atoll. These cases are marked with a light green background color. In the other cases, smaller geographic atolls are associated with administrative atolls, and larger geographic atolls are divided into two administrative atolls. Only the largest natural atoll in the Maldives, Thiladhunmathi-Miladhunmadulu (two names, but actually one atoll), belongs to four different administrative atolls.
Administrative atoll | associated geographic atolls |
---|---|
Haa Alif | Thiladhunmathi 1) (northern part), Ihavandippholu |
Haa Dhaalu | Thiladhunmathi 1) (southern part), Maamakunudhu |
Shaviyani | Miladhunmadulu 1) (northern part) |
Noonu | Miladhunmadulu 1) (southern part) |
Raa | North Maalhosmadulu, Alifushi |
Baa | South Maalhosmadulu, Middle Maalhosmadulu, Goifulhafehendhu |
Lhaviyani | Faadhippolhu |
Malé (capital) | North Malé (southeast corner) |
Kaafu | North Malé (except capital Malé), South Malé , Gaafaru , Kaashidhu |
Alif Alif | Ari (northern part), Rasdhu, Thoddoo |
Alif Dhaal | Ari (southern part) |
Vaavu | Felidhu, Vattaru |
Meemu | Mulak |
Faafu | North Nilandhe |
Dhaalu | South Nilandhe |
Thaa | Kolhumadulu |
Laamu | Haddhunmathi |
Gaafu Alif | Huvadhu (northern part), (Medhuthila) |
Gaafu Dhaalu | Huvadhu (southern part) |
Nyaviyani | Fuvammulah |
Seenu | Addu City |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thomas Weber: Etymology of Atoll Names , accessed on July 31, 2011