Haa Alif Atoll

Haa Alif Atoll is the code name based on the letters of the Maldivian alphabet commonly used to refer to the administrative division officially known as North Thiladhunmathi Atoll (Maldivian: Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi) in the Maldives.

It is the northernmost of the 19 administrative divisions (known as “Atolls”) of the country, and is the third-largest administrative division in terms of population and land area.

This administrative division consists of Ihavandhippolhu, the northernmost geographical atoll of the Maldive archipelago, and the northern section of Thiladhunmathi atoll. The capital of North Thiladhunmathi Atoll is the island of Dhidhdhoo where the Secretariat of North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council is located.

Geography

The Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll administrative division consists of a total of 43 islands spread over two natural geographic atolls, namely Northern Thiladhunmathi, and Ihavandhippolhu.

Northern Thiladhunmathi is the northernmost portion of the huge Thiladhunmathi Atoll. Thiladhunmathi Atoll was administratively divided into northern and southern divisions in 1958.

Ihavandhippolhu lies to the north of Northern Thiladhunmathi, with the Ihavandhoo Kandu channel separating the two, and is the northernmost atoll of the Maldives. It is a small natural atoll 22 km in length. It has 25 islands lying all around the boundary reef. One long barrier reef forms the western side of the atoll. There are several coral patches in the lagoon and the general depth in the centre is 20 to 30 fathoms (35 to 55 m).

Ihavandhippolhu is separated from the Lakshadweep Islands of India by the broad channel known as Māmalē Kandu (or Maliku Kandu).

Alidhoo Alidhuffarufinolhu Beenaafushi Berinmadhoo Dhapparuhura Dhigufaruhura Dhonakulhi Gaafushi Gaamathikulhudhoo Gallandhoo Govvaafushi Hathifushi Huvahandhoo Innafinolhu Kandaalifinolhu Kudafinolhu Maafahi Maafinolhu Maarandhoofarufinolhu Madulu Manafaru Matheerah Medhafushi Mulidhoo Naridhoo Umareifinolhu Un’gulifinolhu Van’gaaru Velifinolhu Baarah Dhidhdhoo Filladhoo Hoarafushi Ihavandhoo Kelaa Maarandhoo Mulhadhoo Muraidhoo Thakandhoo Thuraakunu Uligamu Utheemu Vashafaru

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Islands

Of the 43 islands in the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll administrative division, 14 of them are inhabited and are classified as administrative island constituencies. Each of these constituencies have an island council which responds to the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council which has its headquarters on Dhidhdhoo.

Island constituencies

Name	Population (2006)	Education	Health	Political ward	Coordinates	Geographic Atoll	Remarks
Baarah	1,203	K-10	1 health centre	A03 Baarah	6°49′8″N 73°12′30″E	North Thiladhunmati
Dhidhdhoo	2,512	K-11	1 hospital	A04 Dhidhdhoo	6°53′24″N 73°6′44″E	North Thiladhunmati	Capital of North Thiladhunmati Atoll
Filladhoo	548	K-10	1 health centre	A05 Kelaa	6°52′38″N 73°13′39″E	North Thiladhunmati
Hoarafushi	2,204	K-12	1 health centre	A01 Hoarafushi	6°58′50″N 72°53′45″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Ihavandhoo	2,447	K-12	1 health centre	A02 Ihavandhoo	6°57′17″N 72°55′33″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Kelaa	1,200	K-10	1 health centre	A05 Kelaa	6°57′35″N 73°12′46″E	North Thiladhunmati
Maarandhoo	530	K-10	1 health centre	A02 Ihavandhoo	6°51′18″N 72°58′59″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Mulhadhoo	172	K-8	1 health provider	A02 Ihavandhoo	7°00′45″N 72°59′45″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Muraidhoo	451	K-10	1 health centre	A03 Baarah	6°50′23″N 73°09′54″E	North Thiladhunmati
Thakandhoo	340	K-9	1 health centre	A03 Baarah	6°50′44″N 72°59′38″E	North Thiladhunmati
Thuraakunu	347	K-10	1 health centre	A01 Hoarafushi	7°06′18″N 72°54′07″E	Ihavandhippolhu	Northernmost island in the country.
Uligamu	267	K-10	1 health centre	A01 Hoarafushi	7°05′00″N 72°55′40″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Utheemu	521	K-10	1 health centre	A03 Baarah	6°50′04″N 73°06′47″E	North Thiladhunmati	Location of iconic Utheemu Ganduvaru.
Vashafaru	471	K-12	1 health centre	A05 Kelaa	6°53′50″N 73°09′40″E	North Thiladhunmati

Uninhabited Islands

All uninhabited islands in Haa Alif Atoll are under the control of the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council.

Resort Islands

Name	Resort Name	Coordinates	Geographical Atoll	Remarks
Alidhoo	J Resort Alidhoo	6°50′55″N 73°09′07″E	North Thiladhunmati
Berinmadhoo	Construction in progress	7°02′50″N 72°58′16″E	Ihavandhippolhu	Was previously inhabited. Population relocated to Hoarafushi.
Dhonakulhi	Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa Maldives	6°50′35″N 73°03′05″E	North Thiladhunmati
Manafaru	JA Manafaru,	6°59′49″N 72°56′23″E	Ihavandhippolhu	Previous resort was The Beach House Iruveli (Waldorf Astoria Maldives)

Other Uninhabited Islands

Name	Current usage	Coordinates	Geographical Atoll	Remarks
Alidhuffarufinolhu	–	6°51′39″N 73°06′16″E	North Thiladhunmati
Beenaafushi	–	6°55′42″N 73°08′11″E	North Thiladhunmati
Dhapparuhura	–	6°54′55″N 73°12′40″E	North Thiladhunmati
Dhigufaruhura	–	6°55′26″N 72°58′08″E	North Thiladhunmati
Gaafushi	–	6°51′07″N 73°03′27″E	North Thiladhunmati
Gaamathikulhudhoo	–	7°02′21″N 72°59′04″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Gallandhoo	–	6°56′48″N 72°58′59″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Govvaafushi	–	7°00′45″N 72°55′09″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Hathifushi	–	7°01′12″N 72°49′49″E	Ihavandhippolhu	Was previously inhabited. Population relocated to Hanimaadhoo.
Huvahandhoo	–	6°57′32″N 72°54′18″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Innafinolhu	–	7°04′25″N 72°48′40″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Kandaalifinolhu	–	6°55′35″N 73°07′48″E	North Thiladhunmati
Kudafinolhu	–	6°59′22″N 72°53′00″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Maafahi	Fisheries	6°49′42″N 73°09′23″E	North Thiladhunmati	Leased for long-term fisheries and agriculture.
Maafinolhu	–	7°00′08″N 72°51′44″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Maarandhoofarufinolhu	–	6°49′43″N 72°58′19″E	North Thiladhunmati
Madulu	Agriculture	7°03′17″N 72°57′11″E	Ihavandhippolhu	Leased for long-term fisheries and agriculture.
Matheerah	–	7°01′39″N 72°49′08″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Medhafushi	Agriculture	7°00′38″N 72°56′02″E	Ihavandhippolhu	Leased for long-term fisheries and agriculture.
Mulidhoo	–	6°50′10″N 73°00′40″E	North Thiladhunmati
Naridhoo	Resort (Development)	6°53′42″N 73°07′36″E	North Thiladhunmati
Umareifinolhu	–	7°00′34″N 72°51′03″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Un’gulifinolhu	–	6°58′15″N 72°54′03″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Van’gaaru	–	7°05′35″N 72°52′41″E	Ihavandhippolhu
Velifinolhu	–	6°59′39″N 72°52′28″E	Ihavandhippolhu

Disappeared Islands

These are islands which during recorded history, have been completely eroded away, claimed by the sea due to the sea-level rise associated with global warming or assimilated by other islands.

• Gasthirifinolhu
• Gudhanfushi
• Huraa
• Nasfaru
• Thiladhoo (merged into Dhidhdhoo, it was after this island that the atoll got its name of ‘Thiladhunmathi’)
• Thinadhoo

Administration

Atoll Council

North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council
Type
Type	Atoll council
Leadership
President	Moosa Shafeeq, MDP
Seats	14
Meeting place
Secretariat of the North Thiladhunmathi Atoll Council, Shaariu’l Ameen, Dhidhdhoo
Website
www.halifatoll.gov.mv

The North Thiladhunmathi Atoll administrative division is governed by an Atoll Council. The atoll council was created in 2011 with the enactment of the Decentralization Bill, which saw the introduction of local governance to the country. The secretariat of the atoll council is located on Dhidhdhoo.

The atoll is further divided up into 5 political wards each with one councillor.

Members

History

In Matheerah there is a famous shrine (ziyaraiy, mausoleum) which was visited formerly by the Maldive kings and their families in order to seek blessings. Such tomb visits are aspects of Sufism that existed among the Maldivians until very recent times. Hence this island was referred to with the honorific title Matheerahffulhu (High (noble) Island) by the Sufi Muslims of the Maldives at that time.

Traditionally the northernmost atoll of the Maldives was Minicoy (Maliku). Fishermen from Thuraakunu and from Minicoy often crossed the Maliku Kandu on their boats to visit each other’s islands. Marriage alliances were common. Now Minicoy is a part of India and communication is highly restricted.

As an administrative division, North Thiladhunmathi Atoll was created when the huge natural Thiladhunmathi Atoll was administratively divided into northern and southern divisions in 1958.