Kaashidhoo (Kaafu Atoll)

Kaashidhoo (also Kaashidhu ) ( Dhivehi: ކ ާ ށ ި ދ ޫ, translated: Coconut Island, Sanskrit: Kardiva ) is an inhabited island in the Maldives.

Location

Unlike most of the other islands of the country Kaashidhoo belongs to no Maldivian atoll, but is geographically isolated, so is a separate Atoll, consisting only of a single island. Kaashidhoo belongs to the eastern chain of the Maldives and is the central group of atolls Medhuraajjé counted. The island is located in was named after her Kardiva channel ( also Kaashidhoo Kandu, French outdated Courant de Caridoue ) that separates the northern and central atolls of the Maldives from each other.

The distance to the south Gaafaru Atoll is about 20 km, to the capital Malé still further to the south there are 87.54 km. In the north, 30 km away Faadhippolhu Atoll the atolls Goifulhafehendhu is (also Lhaviyani Atoll ), and in the far west (also Goidhoo or Horsburgh Atoll called ) and South Maalhosmadulu.

Administratively, the island belongs together with the North Malé, South Malé Atoll and Gaafaru to Kaafu Atoll Administration.

Island Description

Kaashidhoo has 1961 inhabitants ( census September 2006). With an area of ​​276.49 hectares ( 2825 mx 1025 m) is Kaashidhoo the fifth largest island in the Maldives and the largest island north of the capital Malé. The island is famous mainly for its numerous coconut trees and therefore is called " island of the coconut trees ." Unlike on most other islands of the country fishing for Kaashidhoo is almost irrelevant, because of the ( for Maldivian standards) large island area farming is done in the first place. Besides coconuts, among other watermelons, cucumbers, bananas, papayas and peppers are grown.

On the island there are three schools and preschools: Kaafu Atoll School, Amalee Pre-School and Pre-School Salaahiyya.

In pre-Islamic times it was on Kaashidhoo significant Buddhist temples, of which ruins are preserved.

International recognition has the climatological observation station Kaashidhoo Climate Observatory, which garnered the 1998/99 data on electromagnetic radiation and aerosols in the atmosphere as part of the Indian Ocean Experiment ( INDOEX ).