Vaadhoo | |
|---|---|
  Vaadhoo Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 05°51′19″N 72°59′27″E / 5.85528°N 72.99083°E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Administrative atoll | Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 194.46 km (120.83 mi) |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 1.450 km (0.901 mi) |
| • Width | 0.400 km (0.249 mi) |
| Population (2014)[1] | |
| • Total | 398 (including foreigners) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
Vaadhoo (Dhivehi: ވާދޫ) is one of the inhabited islands of Raa Atoll, Maldives. Famous for the bioluminescence plankton (Redhan), the spectacular "Sea of Stars" can be experienced in this island yearly. With clean roads and white sandy beaches, Vaadhoo is one of the most beautiful inhabited islands in the Maldives and its local tourism industry is expected to boom in the upcoming years.
Geography
The island is 194.46 km (121 mi; 105 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[2]
Ecology
Vaadhoo island is famous for the 'sea of stars.' This marine bioluminescence is generated by phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates. Woodland Hastings of Harvard University has for the first time identified a special channel in the dinoflagellate cell membrane that responds to electrical signals—offering a potential mechanism for how the algae create their unique illumination.
Demography
Total population of the island was more than 500 in 2007.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 320 | — |
| 2014 | 375 | +17.2% |
| 2006-2014: Census populations Source: [3] | ||
References
- ↑ "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 34. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- ↑ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- ↑ "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 11 August 2018.