Fuvahmulah
Fuvahmulah (Dhivehi: ފުވައްމުލައް) is an island (atoll) in the Maldives. It is under Maldives’ administrative division of Gnaviyani (or Nyaviyani) Atoll. The island is the second southernmost administrative atoll, located to the south of Huvadhu Atoll and to the north of Seenu Atoll. It’s also the third most populous island after Malé and Addu.
Fuvahmulah
ފުވައްމުލައް | |
|---|---|
| Fuvahmulah City | |
Satellite image of Fuvahmulah | |
Fuvahmulah Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 0°17′35.56″S 73°25′24.96″E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | Gnaviyani Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 494 km (307 mi) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Mayor | Ismail Rafeeq (MDP) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.94 km2 (1.91 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
| • Total | 9,166 |
| • Density | 1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
| Website | fuvahmulah.gov.mv |
The inhabitants of the island speak a distinctive dialect of the Dhivehi language, locally known as "Fuvahmulaki baha.”
Fuvahmulah means "Island of the Areca nut palms", Fuvah (or "Fuva") in the local language. Other places in the world like Penang in Malaysia and Guwahati in Assam, India, are also named after this nut. The original name of the island could have been Mulah, but was called Fuvahmulah (the Mulah with the areca nut palms) to distinguish it from Boli Mulah – another island in ancient Maldives.
The admiralty charts and some geographers named the island Fua Mulaku. In old French maps the island appeared under the name Poue Molluque.