1. MALDIVES : REMOTE ATOLLS
The Maldives, the lowest country in the world, consist of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making this one of the world's most dispersed countries.
The northernmost atoll (290 kms from Male) is Haa Alifu Atoll which boosts the most interesting historical structures outside of Male.
The southernmost atoll (540 kms from Male) is Addu Atoll, often called Addu City (with 30,000 inhabitants, it is the most populated area outside of Male). The highest point of the Maldives (5.1 m only) is located here.
Dominique LAURENT
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2. Faadhippolhu Atoll (Naifaru Island) : typical example of how small & crowded when inhabited the islands are.

3. UTHEEMU ISLAND (HAA ALIFU ATOLL)
Utheemu Island is located in the Haa Alifu Atoll, the northernmost atoll of the Maldives, some 290 kms from Male. It is quite small (a close to perfect circle with a 600 m diameter) with 600 inhabitants, but is by far the most historically interesting island outside of Male. In 1558, the Portuguese annexed the Maldives, but in 1573, the Maldivian hero Thakurufaanu overthrew them. His small wooden palace still stands here.

4. Thakurufaanu Memorial (Maldivian hero who overthrew Portuguese rule in 1573)

5. Bodu Thakurufan Memorial Centre

6. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

7. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

8. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

9. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

10. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) (outside wall made of coral-stones)

11. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) (interiors are made of 500 years precious wood imported from India)

12. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) ('Ashige', = former sleeping room for guests)

13. Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) ('Ashige', = former sleeping room for guests)

14. 'Lonely Tree', a sacred tree (near palace)

15. Schoolgirls

16. Kandhuvalu Mosque (dating from 16th century)

17. Kandhuvalu Mosque

18. Kandhuvalu Mosque

19. Kandhuvalu Mosque

20. Kandhuvalu Mosque

21. Old tomb in cemetery around Kandhuvalu Mosque

22. Killing time in ‘jolis’ (net seats)

23. Bandaarainge Mosque

24. Fenaka (big state-run company providing electricity, water , sewerage and waste management)

25. Kindergarten (brighly painted as are many buildings in the Maldives)

26. Coral-stone walls

27. Typical street covered with white sand

28. Ruins of a traditional house made of coral & limestone
Ruins of a traditional house made of coral & limestone (it is not allowed anymore to use coral for building purposes for obvious reasons)

29. Ruins of a traditional house made of coral & limestone

30. ‘Jolis’ in front of a house

33. White sand beach (all around Utheemu Island)

34. VILINGILI ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL)
Heart-shaped Addu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. It is often called Addu City, as it is the only place to rival Male in size and importance.
Vilingili Island is a superb island with one of the best resort of the country and a stunning vegetation (shown on 2 other PPSs). It has some historical relics.

35. Wreck of a ‘dhoni’ (traditional boat)

36. Former British artillery coastal garrison building

37. GAN ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL)
Heart-shaped Addu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. It is often called Addu City, as it is the only place to rival Male in size and importance.
Its 30,000 inhabitants are spread over 7 islands connected to each other by causeways, bridges and land reclamation. The main islands are : Gan, Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo. From Gan Island to Hithadhoo Island, the 16 kms ‘Addu Link Road’ causeway is the second longest paved causeway in the Maldives.
Gan Island is the southernmost one of these 7 islands. It has a colonial feel as, during WW2, the British established there a secret naval base. In 1956, they built an air-force base, thus causing the development of the other islands including the causeways. They pulled out in There is still an airport and remains of the British structures.

38. WW2 Memorial

39. Garrison barracks of the former British base

40. Movie theatre of the former British base

41. Mosque ; in front of the mosque, the
Mosque ; in front of the mosque, the cemented square was the location of the former church of the British base As no religious buildings – other than muslim – are allowed, it was razed to the ground …
Another evidence of muslim intolerance in the Maldives : pre-muslim ruins such as an ‘hawitta’ (Buddhist & Hindu stone prayer mound) in the homonymous Gan Island in Huvadhoo Atoll, originally a pyramid, discovered by Thor Heyerdahl, was destroyed ; in 2012, during islamic riots, islamists destroyed Bouddhist & Hindu statues in the National Museum …

42. Causeway linking Gan Island & Feydhoo Island

43. FEYDHOO ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL)

44. White Tern Monument (locally known as ‘Dhondheeni’ , the white tern is a small seabird traditionally only confined to the Addu Atoll)

45. Feydhoo School

46. Aman Mosque

47. Typical back street

48. Ruins of house made of coral & limestone

49. Ruins of house made of coral & limestone

50. A series of ‘undholis’ (swing seats)

51. MARADHOO ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL)

52. Decorated outside wall

53. Causeway & bridge linking Maradhoo Island & Hithadhoo Island

54. HITHADHOO ISLAND

55. Medheaari Kulhi (lake) & Equatorial Convention Centre (built for the 2011 SAARC Summit and never used since)

56. Medheaari Kulhi (lake)

57. Medheaari Kulhi (lake)
Minaret of a modern mosque (near Equatorial Convention Centre)

60. Asseyri Magu (main street)

61. Walls made of coral & limestone

62. Wall & house made of coral & limestone

63. Old coral house

64. Political propaganda

65. Jumhooree Party (Republican Party)
Jumhooree Party (Republican Party) This party is presently part of a coalition with the ruling party (PPM – Progressive Party of the Maldives)

66. Traditional boat

67. Ikram Mosque (Daisy Magu)
END