Alif Alif Atoll

Alif Alif Atoll (also known as Northern Ari Atoll or Ari Atholhu Uthuruburi) is an administrative division of the Maldives. It was created on March 1, 1984, combining northern section of Ari Atoll, the small Rasdhukuramathi Atoll, and the isolated island of Thoddoo. Many of the islands in this atoll have been inhabited since ancient times and have archaeological remains from the Maldivian Buddhist period.

Alifu Alifu Atoll
atoll of the Maldives
Country	Maldives
Corresponding geographic atoll(s)	Ari Atoll Uthuruburi
Location	4° N and 72.8° E
Capital	Rasdhoo
Government
• Atoll Chief
Population
• Total	5,905
Letter code	U
Dhivehi letter code	AA (އއ)
• Number of islands	33
• Inhabited islands	Bodufolhudhoo Feridhoo Himandhoo Maalhos Mathiveri Rasdhoo Thoddoo Ukulhas
• Uninhabited islands	Alikoirah, Bathalaa*, Beyrumadivaru, Dhin-nolhufinolhu, Ellaidhoo*, Etheramadivaru, Fesdhoo*, Fusfinolhu, Fushi, Gaagandu, Gaathufushi*, Gangehi*, Halaveli*, Kandholhudhoo*, Kudafolhudhoo*, Kuramathi*, Maagaa, Maayyafushi*, Madivarufinolhu, Madoogali, Mathivereefinolhu, Meerufenfushi, Mushimasgali, Rasdhoo madivaru, Velidhoo*, Veligandu*, Vihamaafaru
Resort islands(*), airports(¤) and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited.

The separation of Ari Atoll (formerly Alifu Atoll) into a Northern and a Southern section has formed the two most recent administrative divisions of the Maldives, namely Alifu Alifu Atoll and Alifu Dhaalu Atoll.

Geography

The North Ari Atoll administrative division consists of the northern part of the geographic or natural atoll Ari Atoll (described as Northern Ari Atoll in this context to differentiate from the official name of the administrative division), Rasdhukuramathi Atoll and Thoddoo Island. The atolls consists of Inhabited Islands and Uninhabited Island, a definition which includes resort islands, airport islands and industrial islands.

Inhabited islands

Name	Population[1]	Coordinates[2]	Geographic Atoll/Island	Remarks
Bodufolhudhoo	586	4°11′7″N 72°46′23″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Feridhoo	413	4°3′3″N 72°43′31″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Himandhoo	667	3°55′15″N 72°44′38″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Maalhos	408	3°59′13″N 72°43′11″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Mathiveri	623	4°11′30″N 72°44′46″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Rasdhoo	949	4°15′46″N 72°59′31″E	Rasdhukuramathi Atoll	Capital of North Ari Atoll administrative division, known as Ross Atoll in the Admiralty Charts
Thoddoo	2,023	4°26′20″N 72°57′31″E	Thoddoo Island
Ukulhas	921	4°12′53″N 72°51′50″E	Northern Ari Atoll

Maalhos: Maalhos is geographically the westernmost island of the Atoll and the second-most westerly inhabited island of the Maldives after Maamakunudhoo. Vajrayana Buddhist remains have been found on this island.

Rasdhoo: Rasdhoo is the capital island of the North Ari Atoll administrative division. It has ferry connections with Malé as well as the other inhabited islands of the atoll. The island has several guesthouses catering to tourists visiting inhabited islands rather than resort islands.

Resort islands

Resort islands are classified as Uninhabited Islands which have been converted to become resorts. The following are the resort islands, with the official name of the resort.

Name	Resort Name	Coordinates[3]	Geographic Atoll	Remarks
Bathalaa	Bathala Island Resort[4]	4°4′13″N 72°56′43″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Ellaidhoo	Ellaidhoo Maldives[5]	4°0′22″N 72°56′56″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Fesdhoo	W Maldives[6]	4°0′24″N 72°48′39″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Gaathafushi	Gaathufushi Private Island [7]	4°1′24″N 72°48′38″E	Northern Ari Atoll	Owned by W Maldives
Gangehi	Gangehi Island Resort[8]	4°13′12″N 72°45′18″E	Northern Ari Atoll	Owned by UHC Resorts
Halaveli	Constance Halaveli[9]	4°2′17″N 72°55′9″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Kan'dholhudhoo	Kandolhu Maldives[10]	4°0′9″N 72°52′53″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Kudafolhudhoo	Nika Island Resort[11]	4°10′52″N 72°46′1″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Kuramathi	Kuramathi Maldives[12]	4°15′33″N 72°58′45″E	Rasdhukuramathi Atoll
Maayafushi	Voi Maayafushi Resort	4°4′25″N 72°53′15″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Velidhoo	Velidhoo Island Resort	4°11′41″N 72°49′6″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Veligandu	Veligandu Island Resort[13]	4°17′56″N 73°0′41″E	Northern Ari Atoll

Veligandu: Veligandu covers 22 acres (8.9 ha) and it is 600 metres long. It is a holiday resort with 91 rooms and an excellent snorkelling reef. A large number of workers at the resort come from Sri Lanka and India. The island is linked to Male by seaplane services.

Other uninhabited islands

Name	Current usage	Coordinates	Geographic Atoll/Island	Remarks
Alikoirah		3°56′36″N 72°52′49″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Etheremadivaru		4°7′7″N 72°56′16″E	Northern Ari Atoll	Earmarked for resort development by Emaar Group as Address Madivaru, scheduled for opening in 2020.[14]
Fusfinolhu		4°1′6″N 72°57′30″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Fushi		4°12′56″N 72°53′1″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Gaagandu		4°13′58″N 72°51′54″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Maagau		3°59′20″N 72°57′25″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Madivaru		4°15′55″N 72°0′0″E	Northern Ari Atoll	Formerly Banyan Tree Madivaru, now closed
Madivarufinolhu		4°16′7″N 73°0′0″E	Rasdhukuramathi Atoll
Madoogali		4°5′45″N 72°45′10″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Mathivereefinolhu		4°11′6″N 72°45′2″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Mushimasmigili		3°57′32″N 72°54′47″E	Northern Ari Atoll
Vihamaafaru		4°7′19″N 72°44′47″E	Northern Ari Atoll

Gallery

• 
  An isolated spit in the middle of the Rasdhukuramathi Atoll
• 
  Veligandu Island resort

References

1. Based on 2014 Census "Statistical Yearbook Maldives 2017". National Bureau of Statistics, Maldives. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
2. Based on list of islands in "Atolls of the Maldives". Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
3. Based on list of islands in "Status of Islands" (PDF). Department of National Planning, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Republic of Maldives. 16 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-24.
4. "Bathala Island Resort". AAA Hotels & Resorts. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
5. "Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon". Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
6. "W Maldives". Marriott International Hotels. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
7. "Gaathufushi Private Island". Marriott International Hotels. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
8. "Gangehi Island Resort". Gangehi Island Resort. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
9. "Constance Halaveli". Constance Hospitality Management. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
10. "Kandolhu Maldives". Kandolhu Maldives. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
11. "Nika Island Resort". Take Me To Maldives Pty Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
12. "Kuramathi Maldives". Kuramathi Maldives. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
13. "Veligandu Island Resort". Veligandu Island Resort. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
14. "Emaar Hospitality expands with private island project in Maldives". The National. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 2018-06-04.

• Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh. Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā Qaumī Markazu. Reprint 1958 edn. Malé 1990.
• Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī.
• Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999.