Dhidhdhoo (Haa Alif Atoll)
Dhidhdhoo
ދިއްދޫ | |
|---|---|
  Dhidhdhoo Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 6°53′24″N 73°6′24″E / 6.89000°N 73.10667°E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | Thiladhunmathi Atoll |
| Administrative atoll | Haa Alif Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 303.5 km (188.6 mi) |
| Government | |
| • Council | Dhidhdhoo Island Council |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 2 km (1 mi) |
| • Width | 0.35 km (0.22 mi) |
| Population (2014)[1] | |
| • Total | 2,854 (including foreigners) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
| Area code(s) | 650, 20 |
- For other islands see Dhiddhoo (disambiguation)
Dhidhdhoo (Dhivehi: ދިއްދޫ) is the capital of Haa Alif Atoll in the Maldives. It is an island-level administrative constituency governed by the Dhidhdhoo Island Council.
History
Historically, the island was uninhabited and was under the administration of Utheemu Gadhuvaru, a royal house in Utheemu. The island was inhabited around 19th century when the people of Dhonakulhi left their island to escape from the invasion of pirates from Malabar.
During the administration of President Mohamed Amin Didi, Dhidhdhoo refused to take part in the 'Uthuru Gadubadu', an uprising of the people of the northern atolls against the Amin Didi regime.
Geography
The island is 303.5 km (189 mi; 164 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[2] The island lies on the north western tip of Thiladhunmathi Atoll and is separated from the Ihavandhippolhu Atoll by the deep Gallandhoo Kandu channel.
Land reclamation
Originally, the island was 52 ha (130 acres) in size. After a land reclamation project initiated in 2010, the total land area of the island is now approximately 85 ha (210 acres). The land was reclaimed to cater for the needs of the growing population and industries. Being the capital, Dhidhdhoo is home to the largest population and is the economic trade hub of Haa Alif Atoll.
Demography
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2,512 | — |
| 2014 | 2,651 | +5.5% |
| 2006-2014: Census populations Source: [3] | ||
Governance
Dhidhdhoo Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the island Dhidhdhoo. The council was created in 2011, with the enactment of the Decentralization Bill, which saw the introduction of local governance to the country.
The majority of councilors, elected in the country's second local council elections in 2014, is from the PPM.[4] The third local election was held in 2017, that elected 5 members due to an amendment to Local Councils Laws. All five members were from Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) [5]
Council members
| Name | First elected | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmed Firaq | 2017 | MDP | 1138 |
| Ali Hashim | 2017 | MDP | 1157 |
| Zuhura | 2017 | MDP | 1122 |
| Moosa Latheef | 2017 | MDP | 1235 |
| Mohamed Hashim | 2017 | MDP | 1147 |
Economy
Dhidhdhoo continued to serve its people and the people around. It is the centre of trade and services in the North Thiladhnnmathi.
Culture
People of Dhidhdhoo has strong family relation with Minicoy Island of India (Maliku). This is evident even today as there are several Maliku families in Dhidhdhoo who carry the name of Maliku as their family name.
Among the dishes, Hithi (Hichaa bai) is one of the most special dish in Dhidhdhoo and mostly served during the month of Ramazaan. Like Hithi, Bondu is also a very popular candy prepared by people of Dhidhdhoo.
Sport
The people of Dhidhdhoo are very sport loving people. In 1990s there were two major leagues in which football was mainly played among the sounding islands:
- Kelaa Sheikh Ibrahim Hadhanee Cup
- A football league held once every two years. Participation is free, but restricted to teams within the atoll only.
- Gazee Mohamed Hadhanee Cup.
- A football league held once every two years. Participation is free, but restricted to teams within the atoll only.
These two leagues are now inactive and instead teams from Dhidhdhoo now play in the One Hundred Thousand Cup, held once every year by MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed
Clubs
- Baarala sports Club
- Asseyri Football Club
- Dhidhdhoo Teenage Boys Sports CLub
- Real T Sports Club
- Naad Sports Club
- BX Sports Club
- Middle Sports Club
References
- ^ "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 33. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ http://www.ppm.mv/
- ^ https://mdp.org.mv/
