Gaafaru (Kaafu Atoll)

04°44′10″N 73°29′55″E / 4.73611°N 73.49861°E / 4.73611; 73.49861CountryMaldivesAdministrative atollKaafu AtollDistance to Malé62.03 km (38.54 mi)Dimensions • Length0.525 km (0.326 mi) • Width0.450 km (0.280 mi)Time zoneUTC+05:00 (MST)

Gaafaru (Dhivehi: ގާފަރު) is one of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll, the only island of the natural atoll known as Gaafaru.

Geography

The island is 62.03 km (39 mi; 33 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.^[2]

Gahaafaru Atoll

Gahaafaru or Gaafaru (Northern Reef) is a large elliptical reef with only a small inhabited island at its eastern end. This reef has proved disastrous to many vessels. Gaafaru reef is as much a separate atoll as Goifulhafehendhu Atoll or Rasdhukuramathi Atoll which are similar in structure and size. It is separated from Kagi (the northernmost island of North Malé Atoll) by a narrow but deep channel - the Gaafaru Kandu. Its lagoon has an average depth of 16 fathoms (30 m) and has no coral patches or shoals in its centre. Gaafaru is a small island surrounded by a big reef.

Demography

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
2006	800	—
2014	1,354	+69.2%
2015	1,377	+1.7%
2016	1,409	+2.3%
2017	1,452	+3.1%
2018	1,478	+1.8%
2019	1,510	+2.2%
2020	1,532	+1.5%
2021	1,566	+2.2%
2022	1,589	+1.5%
2006-2022: Census populations Source: [3]

References

• Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh. Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā l 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.l