Gaafaru (Kaafu Atoll)

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

The Gaafaru Atoll (also: Gahaafaru Atoll, Dhivehi: ގ ާ ފ ަ ރ ​​ު ) is a small geographical atoll of the Maldives. The main island, also called Gaafaru.

Description

The atoll is part of the eastern chain of the Maldives and is the central group of atolls Medhuraajjé counted. It is 2 miles north of the North Malé Atoll and 20 km south of the isolated island Kaashidhoo. Between the North Malé Atoll and Gaafaru of around 2 km wide rather narrow but deep Gaafaru channel ( Gaafaru Kandu ) runs.

The name Gaafaru in German means " Northern Reef". The majority of the atoll makes the elliptical, dangerous for ships coral reef, just to the southeast there are two islands. The atoll extends in a west-east direction 14 km in north-south direction 7 km. The reef consists of three separate coral segments, through two openings in the north of the reef and a very narrow man-made channel in the south boats can move into the deep central lagoon.

Administratively, the Gaafaru Atoll belongs together with North and South Malé Atoll and Kaashidhoo to the administrative district Kaafu.

Islands of the atoll Gaafaru

The atoll consists only of the two islands Gaafaru and Velifaru making it one of the smallest atolls in the country. In Gaafaru Atoll there are no tourist islands.

Gaafaru

The island is inhabited Gaafaru main island of the atoll of the same name and has 1148 inhabitants ( census 2007). The 10 hectare ( 525 mx 300 m) wide island is located 63.5 kilometers from the capital Malé. As a so-called "local Iceland " may be visited by tourists normally only in organized tours Gaafaru.

Velifaru

Velifaru is in contrast to little more than a kilometer away Gaafaru uninhabited and only about half a hectare in size. Since there is hardly any vegetation on the island, is in effect, a sandbank. Directly east Velifarus runs the artificial channel through the reef, through which boats can reach the lagoon and the harbor of the neighboring island Gaafaru.

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