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Fuvahmulah takes its name after the areca nut palm, Fuvah, in the local Dhivehi language. Located in the southern region of Maldives, Fuvahmulah has a population of roughly 13,000 inhabitants and is often described as one of the most beautiful Maldivian islands.
The island is divided into 8 municipal districts with its main economic revenue being tourism, fishing and agriculture. Fuvahmulah boasts lush vegetation comprising of coconut palms, Malabar plums, taro fields, and an abundant growth of mango trees.
Fuvahmulah started gaining interest of tourists as a shark diving destination around 2017. Tourism is relatively new in Fuvahmulah compared to other islands in the Maldives. As such, the island still possesses the charm and warmth of the local community
FUVAHMULAH HISTORY
Little history has been documented of Fuvahmulah and very few historical monuments are left on the island, namely Gemmisky and Havitta.
Havitta is the stupa remains of a Buddhist temple that was historically located in the Dhadimagu ward of the island, now annexed to Hoadhadu. Pre-Islamic period, Dhadimagu was the epicenter of the Buddhist community, making it the last island division to have accepted Islam. Upon the conversion to Islam, the community of Dhadimagu covered Havitta under a mound of earth. One of the temples nearby was then converted into the first mosque on the island – Gemmiskiy. Present day, much of the ruins of Havitta are gone due to excavations done in the early 1980s.
Gemmiskiy, built circa 1300, is the first mosque built in Fuvahmulah after the conversion to Islam and is also the oldest in the Maldives. The mosque still stands today and was built using coral stones and has two wells. An ancient grave rests within the mosque’s compound and it is believed that it is where Addu Meedhoo Abu Bakr Naib Kaleygefaanu, an Islamic leader and who built the mosque, is buried. It is now tradition that the local community specifically gathers at Gemmiskiy twice a year for their Eid prayers.
Fuvahmulah was once part of the United Suvadive Republic, a breakaway state of the Republic of Maldives. In the post war era, tensions between the Southern Atolls and the Central Government Fuvahmulah rose which resulted in a breakaway. The short lived breakaway state lasted from 1958 to 1963 and was made up of the southernmost atolls of Maldives – Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu.
GEOGRAPHY OF FUVAHMULAH
Fuvahmulah is almost 500 km south of Male, the capital city of Maldives and is a mere 33 km from the Equator. Measuring roughly 4.5 km in length and 1.2 km across, the island is the third largest island of the archipelago. Fuvahmulah is uniquely the only one island atoll in Maldives, and is surrounded by deep oceans. Unlike other Maldives islands, Fuvahmulah lacks a lagoon and is susceptible to large ocean swells.
In ancient times, it is known that the southern end of Fuvahmulah had a small islet which had a saltwater lagoon forming a natural harbour. Over time, the channel connecting the lagoon closed because of massive coral, making the center of the island lower compared to the edges. The inner lagoon has lost its saltiness and is today known for its two freshwater lakes, Dhadimagi Kilhi and Bandaara Kilhi. The lakes are surrounded by marshlands which are mainly dense vegetation of ferns, reed and taro fields.
Fuvahmulah’s underwater topography is distinct with a submerged reef stretching to about 3 km towards the South East direction. Distant from any landmasses, the waters that surround the island are from anywhere between 5 m to over 2000 m. For this reason, the island receives nutrient rich ocean currents creating the ideal environment for a cleaning station and nursery for a diverse range of pelagic fish.
