Gaafu Alifu Atoll

Gaafu Alifu Atoll
atoll of the Maldives
Location of Gaafu Alifu in Maldives
Country	Maldives
Corresponding geographic atoll(s)	Huvadhu Atholhu Uthuruburi
Location	0° 55' N and 0° 28' N
Capital	Vilingili
Government
• Atoll President	Ibrahim Shaheen [1]
Population
• Total	8,334
Letter code	P
Dhivehi letter code	GA (ގއ)
• Number of islands	87
• Inhabited islands	Dhaandhoo * Dhevvadhoo * Dhiyadhoo * Gemanafushi Kanduhulhudhoo * Kolamaafushi * Kondey * Maamendhoo * Nilandhoo * Vilingili
• Uninhabited islands	Araigaiththaa, Baavandhoo, Baberaahuttaa, Bakeiththaa, Beyruhuttaa, Beyrumaddoo, Bihuréhaa, Boaddoo, Bodéhuttaa, Budhiyahuttaa, Dhevvalaabadhoo, Dhevvamaagalaa, Dhigémaahuttaa, Dhigudhoo, Dhigurah, Dhonhuseenahuttaa, Falhumaafushi, Falhuverrehaa, Farudhulhudhoo, Fénéhuttaa, Fenrahaa, Fenrahaahuttaa, Funadhoovillingili, Funamaddoo, Galamadhoo, Hadahaa, Haagevillaa, Hagedhoo, Heenamaagalaa, Hirihuttaa, Hithaadhoo, Hithaadhoogalaa, Hulhimendhoo, Hunadhoo, Hurendhoo, Idimaa, Innaréhaa, Kalhehuttaa, Kalhudhiréhaa, Kanduvillingili, Keesseyréhaa, Kendheraa, Koduhuttaa, Kondeymatheelaabadhoo, Kondeyvillingili, Kudalafari, Kuddoo, Kudhébondeyyo, Kudhéfehélaa, Kudhéhuttaa, Kureddhoo, Lhossaa, Maadhiguvaru, Maaféhélaa, Maagehuttaa, Maakanaarataa, Maamutaa, Maarandhoo, Maaréhaa, Mahaddhoo, Maththidhoo, Maththuréhaa, Médhuburiyaa, Médhuhuttaa, Medhuréhaa, Melaimu, Meradhoo, Minimensaa, Munaagala, Munandhoo, Odagallaa, Raaverrehaa, Rinbidhoo, Thinrukéréhaa, Uhéréhaa, Viligillaa, Vodamulaa
Resort islands(*), airports(¤) and industrial islands are also considered uninhabited.

Gaafu Alifu (also known as Northern Huvadhu Atoll or Huvadhu Atholhu Uthuruburi, ހުވަދުއަތޮޅު އުތުރުބުރި) is an administrative division of the Maldives created on February 8, 1962, when Huvadhu Atoll was divided into two districts. Gaafu Alifu corresponds to the northeastern section of this large natural atoll north of the line extending between the channels of Footukandu and Vaarulu Kandu. The capital of this district is Vilingili.

NOTE: Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Kaafu, etc. (including Gaafu Alif) are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names of the natural atolls that make up these divisions. Some atolls are divided into two administrative divisions while other divisions are made up of two or more natural atolls. The order followed by the code letters is from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Thaana alphabet used in Dhivehi. These code letters are not accurate from the geographical and cultural point of view. However, they have become popular among tourists and foreigners in the Maldives who find them easier to pronounce than the true atoll names in Dhivehi, (save a few exceptions, like Ari Atoll).^[1]