Alif Alif Atoll
Encyclopedia
Northern Ari Atoll or Alifu Alifu Atoll 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 arqueological remains from the Maldivian Buddhist
period.
Rasdhu
Atoll is also known as Ross Atoll in the Admiralty charts.
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.
The island of 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.
NOTE: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Alif Alif) are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names of the natural atolls
that make up these divisions. Some atolls are divided into two administrative divisions while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls. The order followed by the code letters is from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana
alphabet used in Dhivehi
. These code letters are not accurate from the geographical and cultural point of view. However, they have become popular among tourists and foreigners in the Maldives who find them easier to pronounce than the true atoll names in Dhivehi, (save a few exceptions, like Ari Atoll).
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. It was created on March 1, 1984 combining northern section of Ari Atoll, the small Rasdhukuramathi Atoll
Rasdhoo
Rasdhoo is an inhabited island of the Maldives. It is also the capital of the Alif Alif Atoll administrative division. It is the only inhabited island of a small natural atoll known as Rasdhoo, Rasdu or Ross Atoll located a few miles off NE Ari Atoll.-References:* Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh...
, and the isolated island of Thoddoo. Many of the islands in this atoll have been inhabited since ancient times and have arqueological remains from the Maldivian Buddhist
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 ....
period.
Rasdhoo (Alif Alif Atoll)
Ross Atoll in the Admiralty Chart is a small atoll with an almost round lagoon. It is located almost 5 miles from the NE point of Ari Atoll. The northern and western sides are one continuous barrier reef, and the eastern side is another...
Atoll is also known as Ross Atoll in the Admiralty charts.
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.
The island of Maalhos is geographically the westernmost island of the Atoll (and the second most westerly inhabited island of the Maldives after Maamakunudhoo
Makunudhoo (Haa Dhaalu Atoll)
Makunudhoo is one of the inhabited islands of Haa Dhaalu Atoll administrative division and geographically part of Māmakunudhoo Atoll in the north of the Maldives. It is the western most inhabited island in the Maldives....
). Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhist remains have been found on this island.
NOTE: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Alif Alif) are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names of the natural atolls
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....
that make up these divisions. Some atolls are divided into two administrative divisions while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls. The order followed by the code letters is from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana
Thaana
Thaana, Taana or Tāna is the modern writing system of the Divehi language spoken in the Maldives. Taana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet , with consonants derived from indigenous and Arabic numerals, and vowels derived from the vowel diacritics of the Arabic abjad...
alphabet used in 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...
. These code letters are not accurate from the geographical and cultural point of view. However, they have become popular among tourists and foreigners in the Maldives who find them easier to pronounce than the true atoll names in Dhivehi, (save a few exceptions, like Ari Atoll).