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Kolhufushi
Inhabited island
KolhufushiLocation in Maldives
Coordinates: 02°46′48″N 73°25′30″E / 2.78000°N 73.42500°E / 2.78000; 73.42500
Country	Maldives
Administrative atoll	Meemu Atoll
Distance to Malé	154.57 km (96.05 mi)
Dimensions
• Length	2.475 km (1.538 mi)
• Width	0.450 km (0.280 mi)
Population
• Total	735 (including foreigners)
Time zone	UTC+05:00 (MST)
Kolhufushi Lighthouse
Construction	concrete (foundation), metal (tower)
Height	12 m (39 ft)
Shape	square pyramidal skeletal tower
Markings	grey (tower) , rectangle (black, daymark)
Power source	solar power
Focal height	15 m (49 ft)
Range	10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi)
Characteristic	Fl(2) W 10s

Kolhufushi or [koɭufuʂiː], (Dhivehi: ކޮޅުފުށި) is an inhabited island off the southwest coast of Meemu Atoll Or Mulaku Atoll. It is the third most populous island in Meemu Atoll.

History

2004 tsunami and aftermath

The island was greatly affected by the 2004 tsunami, although coral reefs took some of the impact. The island's chief, Mr. Sigee, described the water as reaching his chin. Two weeks after the disaster, the island's population was found to have lost at least sixteen people, and the island's mango and banana trees had been poisoned by the saltwater. Some homes and a century-old mosque had also been destroyed. Most of the other houses were unsuitable for habitation, leaving only a handful of functional homes. Before relief teams arrived, and due to the houses being unsuitable for life, the population resorted to tents around the island and resorted to eating seaweed.

By mid-January 2005, 8% of the 13,000-strong displaced Maldivian population was housed in temporary shelters on Kolhufushi. The construction of 55 replacement houses was started in October 2008, and a further 168 houses were started in 2010.

Tsunami drills were introduced on the island in 2018. A tsunami warning in 2016 had uncovered a lack of preparedness for dealing with safe evacuation.

The island was supposedly split in half after the Tsunami, the south half is the one that is currently inhabited, The northern half is used for cultivation.

Kolhufushi has a mosque near its south coast where Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-Auzam and his team's vessle Kalhuohfumi was dismantled and turned into the Mosque, "Masjid-Ul-Thakurufaan” or more commonly, “Thakurufaanu Miskiyy”

Geography

The island is 154.57 km (96 mi; 83 nmi) south of the country's capital, Malé. The land area of the island is 61.1 ha (151 acres) in 2018. The island was described as having an area of 75.6 ha (187 acres) in 2007.

Demography

Infrastructure

The island is split into 2 divisions, the split being the harbour's middle. The divisions are the Uthuru Avah (Northern Division) and the Dhekunu Avah (Southern Division) This division has no officiality.

Kolhufushi has 3 mosques, 2 of which are used in mass such as Salat-Ul-Juma’ah and Eid prayers. These two mosques are located in different divisions of the island, being one for each division. The Uthuru Avah has Noor Miskiyy and the Dhekunu Avah has Viaam Miskiyy. while Masjid-Ul-Thakurufaan is in the Dhekunu avah but is used for short prayers. A cemetery is also located next to Masjid-Ul-Thakurufaan.

Most residents live in small houses with around 4-5 rooms, a backyard mostly used for gardening or storage, and a separate area for the kitchen.

Kolhufushi has a handful of stores and a few cafes. The island has 2 Football pitches, all of which in the Uthuru avah.

The construction of Kolhufushi's harbour was contracted in January 2016, and was completed the following year. The harbour was inaugurated in 2018.

Utilities

Electrification on Kolhufushi was undertaken by the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC)in 2013. A submarine cable network was laid to the island, by Ooredoo Maldives, in 2017. The island has a sewage system as well.

Health Care

Kolhufushi has a pharmacy and a health center, Which oreviously broke down in the 2004 Tsunami and was rebuilt and funded by the German Red Cross Deutsches Rote Kreuz. For further and more complicated illnesses, most patients resort to the capital, Malé.

Education

The island holds one school (Meemu Atoll School) for grades 1–12, and a pre-school (Kolhufushi Pre-school) for Baby Nursery and Kindergarten. Both schools are up to Maldivian standards and the Meemu Atoll School has the GSCE exams,O and A level exams.

Sports and Recreation

The island has a football team. The team won every one of their group games at the 2017 Haf Islanders Cup, but lost to Male' in the semi-final.

Many famous futsal and football players from Kolhufushi play for numerous Malé and Hulhumalé teams.

Eid festivals such as Bodumas, Bodu beru and many others are also widespread amongst the community in Kolhufushi.

A number of football teams also exist in kolhufushi alongside a football tournament. A fishing competition also takes place in the island.

Transport

Common speedboat trips arrive from other atolls to Kolufushi, including Malé; Which takes 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes.

As of now, Kolhufushi does not have a road and the nearest airport is the Dhaalu Airport.

There are currently no asphalt roads. the most common form of land transport is by motorbike. Cars are very uncommon, and the island has a pickup service.

See also

• List of lighthouses in the Maldives

References

1. "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 35. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
2. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Maldives". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
3. NGA List of Lights – Pub.112 Retrieved 9 October 2016
4. Fisher, Ian (4 January 2005). "For 5 Minutes, Just Water and Few Signs of an Island". New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
5. "Maldives - 4 Years after the tsunami" (PDF). World Health Organization. Ministry of Finance and Treasury. July 2009. pp. 11, 14. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
6. "Tsunami Housing Project at M. Kolhufushi island commences". Ministry of Environment and Energy. 26 July 2010. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
7. "Devastated by the 2004 Tsunami, the Island in the Maldives Welcomes a Tsunami Drill". Reliefweb. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
8. "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
9. "Table 1.5 : Population, land area, population density and distance to Male' and atoll capitals, by locality" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
10. "Kolhufushi". Ministry of Atolls Development. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
11. "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
12. "President inaugurates M. Kolhufushi Harbor". Sun.mv. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
13. "Milestones". MTCC. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
14. Shaahunaz, Fathmath (5 January 2017). "Ooredoo connects Maldives with submarine cable network". The Edition. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
15. "Panel of Medical Centers" (PDF). Allied Insurance Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
16. "Thimarafushi, Kolhufushi, Kudahuvadhoo, Gulhi, Hithaadhoo, Male' & Inguraidhoo booked their place in Quarter-Finals of HAF Islanders Cup 2017". Maldive Soccer. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
17. "Hithaadhoo will face Male' in Final". Maldive Soccer. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
18. Kolhufushi
19. Kolhufushi

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• Lighthouses in the Maldives