Kudahuvadhoo | |
|---|---|
 The old mosque of Kudahuvadhoo famous for its fine masonry | |
  Kudahuvadhoo Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 2°40′15.96″N 72°53′36.42″E / 2.6711000°N 72.8934500°E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | Indian Ocean (2°40' North; 72°54' East) |
| Administrative atoll | Dhaalu Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 179.70 km (111.66 mi) |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 1.150 km (0.715 mi) |
| • Width | 0.875 km (0.544 mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | |
| • Total | 3,132 (including foreigners) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
Kudahuvadhoo (Dhivehi: ކުޑަހުވަދޫ) is one of the inhabited islands of Dhaalu Atoll in the Maldives. It is also the capital of Dhaalu Atoll.
History
Buddhist Period
The Buddhist era on the island of Kudahuvadhoo lasted from around 400 AD to 1153 AD, with sailors and Aryan immigrants bringing the religion from Sri Lanka and Southern India. Other citizens on the island and island chain were also known to have practiced paganism. Many Hindus also resided on the island as the religion was brought with the Aryans from modern-day Pakistan and western India.[2]
Hawittas
Kudahuvadhoo has one of the mysterious mounds known as hawittas. These mounds are the ruins of Buddhist temples from the pre-Islamic period (before the 10th century) that have not been excavated yet. Thor Heyerdahl, who explored the island in the early 1980s, wrote that the ancient coral-stone mosque of Kudahuvadhoo possesses some of the finest masonry ever seen in the world. The unique masonry surpasses that of the famous Inca wall in Cuzco, Peru.
Islam In Kudahuvadhoo
Kudahuvadhoo Loamaafaanu (official copper plates with inscriptions), provides that king Al-Sultan Valla Dio Kalaminjaa Siri Raa-Araa Desvaru Mahaa Radun (Dhivehi: އައްސުލްޠާން ވައްލާ ދިއޯ ކަލަމިންޖާ ސިރީ ރާއަރާދޭސްވަރު މަހާރަދުން), who ruled the Maldives from 1233 AD to 1258 AD was responsible for spreading Islam to the island. The inscription provides that the citizens of Kudahuvadhoo became Muslim 88 years after the country officially adopted Islam.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
On 19 March 2014 the New York Post said that residents of Kudahuvadhoo reported having seen a low-flying airplane travelling north to southeast towards Addu (the southern tip of the Maldives) resembling the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared in midflight to Beijing from Malaysia on 8 March 2014. This lent credence to one of the theories that the flight had been commandeered by someone who intended to land the plane in a remote area. Kudahuvadhoo had no airstrip at that time. The Malé International Airport 182 km (113 mi) north-northeast of Kudahuvadhoo was one that the pilot had practised landing on, using his homemade flight simulator.[3] The claim that the sighted jet was MH370 was subsequently rejected by Malaysia's minister of transport and defence.[4]
Geography
The island is 179.84 km (112 mi; 97 nmi) south of the country's capital, Malé.[5] It is the capital of the atoll. Kudahuvadhoo is the largest island in Dhaalu Atoll, As the other islands in Dhaalu Atoll are quite small.
Demography
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,639 | — |
| 2014 | 2,216 | +35.2% |
| 2022 | 3,132 | +41.3% |
| 2006-2014-2022: Census populations Source: [6] | ||
According to the 2022 Census, conducted in September 2022, Kudahuvadhoo had a resident population of 3,132.
.[7] (this number includes the residents of Gemendhoo and Vaanee evacuated to Kudahuvadhoo after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004).
Economy
People from other islands come to Kudahuvadhoo for better education and health facilities. Moreover, Kudahuvadhoo is the urban hub in the whole central area of the Maldives, which includes Faafu atoll, Meemu atoll and Dhaalu atoll.
Transport
Kudahuvadhoo is a fast developing island in the Maldives. Dhaalu Airport, the regional airport for Dhaalu atoll is located on Kudahuvadhoo and opened to the public in July 1, 2017. The airport has a 1800m long runway making it one of the largest domestic airports in the Maldives.
Dhaalu Airport
Dhaalu Airport is a regional domestic airport located on the island of Kudahuvadhoo in Dhaalu Atoll in the Republic of Maldives. It was built by Reollo Investments Pvt. Ltd. and is operated by Dhaalu Airport Holdings.
References
- ↑ "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 35. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ↑ Mijim. "History". www.maldivesembassy.be. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ↑ Sheehy, Kate (19 March 2014). "Residents on remote island: We saw missing plane". New York Post.
- ↑ "Missing Malaysian Airlines flight latest update: Malaysia rejects reports of possible MH370 sighting in Maldives". emirates247.com. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ↑ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ↑ "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ↑ Census summary tables (Statistics Maldives)