Huvadhoo Atoll
Encyclopedia
Atolls of the Maldives
The Maldives are formed by a number of natural atolls plus atolls in the form of a few islands and isolated reefs today which form a pattern stretching from 7 degrees 10' North to 0 degrees 45' South....
. The fact is, however, that it is the second largest natural atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
, taking into account that Thiladhunmathi Atoll and Miladhunmadulu Atoll together stand for the largest. Even so, with an area of 3152 km², land area 38.5 km², Huvadu is 10th largest atoll in the world, larger than Ontong Java Atoll
Ontong Java Atoll
Ontong Java Atoll or Luangiua is one of the largest atolls on earth. It is sometimes referred to as Lord Howe Atoll, not to be confused with Lord Howe Island.-Description:Administratively Ontong Java belongs to the Solomon Islands...
and Lihou Reef in the SW Pacific area. On its reef rim are many inhabited islands.
The best quality mats of the Maldives are woven in this atoll, in the island of Gaddū. The local grass 'hau' is dyed in two colors, black and yellow.
Huvadu Atoll has been divided into two districts (administrative atolls) for local administrative purposes since the 1970s. These divisions are Northern Huvadhu Atoll (Gaafu Alifu) in the north, and Southern Huvadhu Atoll (Gaafu Dhaalu).
Linguistics
The inhabitants of this large atoll speak their own distinct form of the Dhivehi languageDhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
, known as Huvadu Bas.
Because of the isolation from the Northern Atolls, and the capital of Malé, the local dialect Huvadhu Bas is significantly different from the other variants of the Maldive language, making much use of the retroflex 'Ţ' and allegedly retaining old forms of Dhivehi. Huvadhu Bas also retains old Sinhala words, is considered to be closer to Sinhala than the other dialects of Dhivehi
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
.
History
The ancient SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
ised name of this atoll was Suvadiva. Its capital and most important island was Havaru Tinadū. Historically the Huvadu atoll chief had a great measure of self-government. He even had the privilege, not granted to any other atoll chief of the Maldives, to fly his own flag in his vessels and at his residence. The flag of the Huvadu Atoll Chief was similar to the flag of Nepal
Flag of Nepal
The national flag of Nepal is the world's only national flag that is non-quadrilateral in shape. The flag is a simplified combination of two single pennons, the vexillological word for a pennant. Its crimson red is the colour of the rhododendron, the country's national flower. Red is also the sign...
in cut, with two central black triangles edged by red and white bands.
There are many Buddhist archaeological remains in Huvadū. Therefore it is likely that this was a very important Atoll in that period of Maldivian History
History of the Maldives
The Maldives is a nation consisting of 26 natural atolls, comprising 1192 islands-Historical setting:Since very ancient times, the Maldives were ruled by kings and occasionally queens ....
.
None of these ancient remains have been properly investigated yet.
Some of the ancient kings of Maldives traced their ancestry to certain families of Devvadu
Dhevvadhoo (Gaafu Alif Atoll)
Dhevvadhoo or Devvadū is one of the inhabited islands of the administrative division known as Northern Huvadhu Atoll . It is a sizeable round island located almost in the centre of Huvadhu Atoll...
island, located at the centre of this large atoll.
Due to its strategic placement on the main sea route around southern India, Huvadhu and the other southern atolls have a long history of contact from mariners sailing the Indian Ocean through the centuries.
Secession of the Suvadive Islands
In January 1959, the three southern atolls: Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu, were involved in setting up the breakaway United Suvadive RepublicUnited Suvadive Republic
The United Suvadive Republic or Suvadive Islands was a short-lived breakaway nation in the remote Southern Atolls of the Maldive Islands, namely Addu Atoll, Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah that geographically make up the Suvadive archipelago.The name of this nation was originally an ancient name for...
which survived until September 1963. The name of the secessionist state was taken from the ancient name of this atoll.
In some islands, like Gaddhoo, there was opposition to the secession, and by means of threats and arson, the groups of people opposing the Suvadive state were forced to agree.
The capital of Havaru Thinadhoo
Thinadhoo (Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll)
Thinadhoo is the capital of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and the proposed capital for the Mathi-Dhekunu Province of the Maldives. It has its own dialect of Dhivehi which is considerably different from northern and mid-Maldivian speech...
was burnt down by soldiers sent by then Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir from Malé during the secession in 1962, after which it was left uninhabited for four whole years and the atoll served its capital at Gaddhoo more than ten(10)years.
Huvadu Kandu
The name of the broad channel north of this atoll is locally known as Huvadu KanduSuvadiva Channel
Suvadiva Channel is the broad channel that separates the northern and central Maldives from the southern atolls.This channel lies between Haddhunmathi Atoll and Huvadhu Atoll and it is one of the broadest channels between the atolls of Maldives.In the British Admiralty charts it is called One and...
. It appeared on the old French maps as Courant de Souadou. Other names are Suvadiva Channel or One-a-half Degree Channel.
It is named after Huvadu Atoll and it is one of the broadest channels between the atolls of Maldives.
See also
- United Suvadive RepublicUnited Suvadive RepublicThe United Suvadive Republic or Suvadive Islands was a short-lived breakaway nation in the remote Southern Atolls of the Maldive Islands, namely Addu Atoll, Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah that geographically make up the Suvadive archipelago.The name of this nation was originally an ancient name for...
- Atolls of the MaldivesAtolls of the MaldivesThe Maldives are formed by a number of natural atolls plus atolls in the form of a few islands and isolated reefs today which form a pattern stretching from 7 degrees 10' North to 0 degrees 45' South....
- Saleem AliSaleem Ali (politician)Mohamed Saleem Ali , Commonly referred to in the Maldives as Sto, Saleem, was Parliament member of Maldivian Democratic Party, elected for president in Huvadhu Atoll with high popularity...