Addu-Atoll

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

The Addu Atoll ( Dhivehi: އ ަ އ ް ޑ ު އ ަ ތ ޮ ޅ ު, administrative: Seenu Atoll, ސ ) is an atoll in the Lakkadivensee, a marginal sea of ​​the Indian Ocean.

It is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives archipelago and is located just a little south of the equator. The total area of the atoll is 131.89 km ². Of this, 76.71 km ² on the lagoon, 9.41 km ² on the 23 islands, and the rest on the Riffplattform. The lagoon is up to 78.6 meters deep. A special feature of Addu Atoll is the ability to move on land via dams between some islands of the atoll.

The largest islands are:

• Hithadhoo 3.6112 km ²
• Gan 2.2561 km ²
• Meedhoo 2.0495 km ²

The atoll was since 1941 first base for the Royal Navy, from 1957 base for the Royal Air Force. The naval base was also used by the Australian Imperial Force, while the airport on Gan Iceland served mainly as a stopover for aircraft en route to Singapore. From Gan Iceland also numerous missiles were launched Kookaburra. In 1971 the base was abandoned parts of the facilities were converted into quarters for tourists.

From 1959 to 1963 was the Atoll, together with the Huvadu Atoll (then called Suvadiva ) and the island Fuvammulah in the south of the Maldives, the internationally recognized Republic but not Suvadiva.

Early 2011 were summarized the inhabited islands of the atoll to the city Addu City after prolonged conflict between the government and opposition Nasheed. Addu and the capital Malé are thus the only two cities in the country and the only places that extend over more than one island.