Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah City is an island-atoll in the Maldives under the administrative division of Gnaviyani (Nyaviyani) Atoll. Located approximately 494 km south of Malé, it is the second southernmost administrative atoll and the third most populous island in the Maldives after Malé and Addu. The island covers 4.94 square kilometers (494 hectares) and is about 4.5 km by 1.2 km in dimension. Fuvahmulah is uniquely characterized by the absence of a lagoon, with a submerged reef (Rashikedefaro) extending about 3 km to the southeast. The island features two freshwater lakes (Dhadimagi Kilhi and Bandaara Kilhi), wetlands, marshy taro fields, and diverse habitats found nowhere else in the Maldives. The island is divided into 8 municipal wards: Dhadimagu (largest, north), Dhiguvaandu, Hoadhadu (first to accept Islam), Maadhadu (smallest, central), Maalegan, Miskiymagu (merged with former Dashukubaa), Funaadu (southernmost), and Dhoondigan (most populous). Fuvahmulah is world-renowned as a premier shark diving destination, particularly for tiger sharks and thresher sharks. The island's inhabitants speak a distinctive dialect known as 'Fuvahmulaki baha.' Notable landmarks include Gemmiskiy (the oldest mosque in the Maldives, built circa 1300), the Havitta Buddhist stupa ruins, and the unique Thoondu beach with its smooth white pebbles. The island is also the largest producer of mangoes, pineapples, and oranges in the Maldives.