Atolls of Maldives

Buy data    Donate

Updates: 

The Ministry of Planning page now has the 2000 census returns, along with new atoll codes, as listed in the "Code" column.

Country overview: 

The Maldive Islands were a British protectorate and a dependency of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) until 1948. Then the territory was separated from Ceylon and administered directly by Britain. It became independent on 1965-07-26.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Maldiverne
2. Dhivehi: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa (formal)
3. Dutch: Maldiven, Republiek Maldiven (formal)
4. English: Republic of the Maldives (formal)
5. Finnish: Malediivit
6. French: Maldives fp
7. German: Malediven fp
8. Icelandic: Maldíveyjar
9. Italian: Maldive, Repubblica f delle Maldive fp (formal)
10. Norwegian: Maldivene, Republikken Maldivene (formal) (Bokmål), Maldivane, Republikken Maldivane (formal) (Nynorsk)
11. Portuguese: Maldivas, República f das Maldivas fp (formal)
12. Spanish: Maldivas, República f de Maldivas (formal)
13. Swedish: Maldiverna

Origin of name: 

Arabic al-Mahal: palace + Sanskrit dvipa: island

Primary subdivisions: 

Maldives is divided into twenty atolls and one city.

Postal codes: 

Maldives Post  is introducing a new system of five-digit postal codes. Codes beginning with '2' are for locations in the Male postal area. Codes beginning with '0' or '1' are for locations in the other atolls, with the first two digits representing a particular atoll. Before now, codes for census statistical areas were used. They had the form nn-nn, where each 'n' is a digit.

Territorial extent: 

The atolls in the Maldives form the middle link in a chain between British Indian Ocean Territory to the south and Lakshadweep union territory, India, to the north. They are separated from Lakshadweep by the Eight Degree Channel, at about eight degrees North latitude, and from B.I.O.T. by a broader channel centered at about three degrees South.

Origins of names: 

The names of most of the atolls are simply the names of letters of the Thaana alphabet. Thaana  is used to write Dhivehi, the language of the Maldives, and is related to both the Arabic and Devanagari alphabets. Male comes from Arabic al-Mahal: palace.

Change history: 

1. ~1987: Male city split from Kaafu atoll.
2. ~1998: Aliff atoll (MV.AL) split into Aliff Aliff and Aliff Daalu.

Other names of subdivisions: 

Note: (Admiralty) refers to atoll names on the British Admiralty charts. Aliff may be transcribed instead as Alif or Alifu; Daalu may be Dhaal or Dhaalu, Gaafu may be Gaaf, and so on. Names ending in "North" or "South" may equally well appear inverted (e.g. North Male instead of Male North). Names may be followed by "Atoll". Male is often written with an acute accent or reasonable facsimile (Malé, Male').

1. Aliff: Ari and Rasdu (Admiralty); Ari (variant)
2. Aliff Aliff: Alif Uthuru, Ari Atholhu Uthuruburi, Ari Atoll Uthuru Gofi, Ari North (variant)
3. Aliff Daalu: Alif Dhekunu, Ari Atholhu Dhekunuburi, Ari Atoll Dhekunu Gofi, Ari South (variant)
4. Baa: Malosmadulu South (Admiralty); Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi, Maalhosmadulu South (variant)
5. Daalu: Nilandu South (Admiralty); Nilandhe Atholhu Dhekunuburi, Nilandhe South (variant)
6. Faafu: Nilandu North (Admiralty); Faaf, Faafa, Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi, Nilandhe North (variant)
7. Gaafu Aliff: Suvadiva North (Admiralty); Huvadhoo North, Huvadu North, North Huvadhu (variant)
8. Gaafu Daalu: Suvadiva South (Admiralty); Huvadhoo South, Huvadu South, South Huvadhu (variant)
9. Haa Aliff: Tiladummati North (Admiralty); Ihavandhippolhu, Ihavandiffulu, Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi, Thiladhunmathi North (variant)
10. Haa Daalu: Tiladummati South (Admiralty); Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi, Thiladhunmathi South (variant)
11. Kaafu: North and South Male (Admiralty); Male (variant)
12. Laamu: Haddummati (Admiralty); Hadhdhummathi, Hadhdhunmathee, Hadhunmathi (variant)
13. Laviyani: Fadiffolu (Admiralty); Faadhippolhu, Lhaviyani (variant)
14. Meemu: Mulaku (Admiralty); Miim, Mulakatholhu (variant)
15. Naviyani: Fua Mulaku (Admiralty); Foahmulah, Foammulah, Fuahmulah, Fuvahmulah, Gnaviyani, Gnyaviyalu (variant)
16. Noonu: Miladummadulu South (Admiralty); Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi, Miladhunmadulu South, Nuun (variant)
17. Raa: Malosmadulu North (Admiralty); Maalhosmadulu North, Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi (variant)
18. Seenu: Addu (Admiralty); Addoo, Siin (variant)
19. Shaviyani: Miladummadulu North (Admiralty); Miladhunmadulu North, Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi, Shaviyan (variant)
20. Thaa: Kolumadulu (Admiralty); Kolhumadulu (variant)
21. Waavu: Felidu (Admiralty); Felidhe, Vaavu (variant)