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Maafaru (Noonu Atoll)

Maafaru
Maafaru is located in Maldives
Maafaru
Maafaru
Location in Maldives
Coordinates: 05°49′55″N 73°28′49″E / 5.83194°N 73.48028°E / 5.83194; 73.48028
CountryMaldives
Geographic atollMiladhummadulhu Atoll
Administrative atollSouthern Miladhunmadulu
Distance to Malé183.23 km (113.85 mi)
Government
 • CouncilMohamed Adhnaan
Dimensions
 • Length4.630 km (2.877 mi)
 • Width0.630 km (0.391 mi)
Population
 (2014)[1]
 • Total
715 (including foreigners)
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (MST)

Maafaru (Dhivehi : މާފަރު. ) is one of the inhabited islands of Noonu Atoll in the Maldives.

Geography

The island is 183.23 km (114 mi; 99 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[2]

Demography

Historical population
YearPop.±%
2006 710—    
2014 697−1.8%
2006-2014: Census populations
Source: [3]

Transport

Maafaru International Airport was built in 2018, having a 2,200 m (7,200 ft) runway,[4] and built with aid from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.[5]

History

9/11 themed Eid celebration

The Az'ha Eid ‘celebrations’ that took place on Maafaru in 2018 were criticised after photos of it appeared on Facebook. The images show men acting as terrorists armed with pretend rifles and a tower with a US flag on top of it. The finale featured a plastic plane hanging from a wire and crashing into the tower, with smoke and fire billowing. The Facebook post with the images was later removed. The same spectacle has been held on the island for at least two consecutive years, according to the organizer.[6][7][8][9]

References