1. MALDIVES : NORTH MALE ATOLL (1)
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.
Some of the islands (described here) of North Male Atoll, not far from Male, the capital island, are :
-Hulhule (the airport island)
-Thilafushi (the ‘Rubbish Island’)
-Viligili (a nice & quiet island)
-Hulhumale (a fast growing artificial island)
-Himmafushi (a very picturesque island)
Dominique LAURENT
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2. HULHULE ISLAND
Hulhule Island is the ‘airport island’. Just about 2 kms from Male Island (some 8 mn by ferry). It is fully occupied by Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, including the seaport for floatplanes.
China is presently building a bridge to connect Hulhule Island and Male Island.

4. THILAFUSHI ISLAND
This gloomy (but very famous) island is the dark side of the Maldives ! Known as ‘Rubbish Island’, it is where Male dumps its garbage. All the south side of the island is an impressive (quite smelly) and immense dumpyard. The island is also earmarked for industrial development such as a Lafarge cement factory. There is also a few shipyards and a small township of migrant workers.

6. Barges

7. Imported sand (used for reclaiming land) (from India & Bangladesh)

15. A shipyard

16. VILIGILI ISLAND
Just 1 km from Male Island, this island is essentially a suburb of Male. It is a different world, though, quieter and more relaxed than Male. It retains a certain charm with its painted houses, its small harbour & its quiet streets where local people take it easy.

22. The (only) local bus

23. Taking it easy on ‘jolis’ (net seats in a rectangular frame)
Taking it easy on ‘jolis’ (net seats in a rectangular frame) (it is here a bit unusual in Maldives to see men & women aside)

24. Street name (magu = street) (above) & ‘street art’ (mural on a wall) (right)

25. Junk food also in the Maldives !

26. People attending a school anniversary
People attending a school anniversary (note the woman in the middle : it’s a very unusual sight in this very islamic country)

28. HULHUMALE ISLAND
Hulhumale Island is a large manmade island : sand and coral were dug up from the lagoon and dumped on the reef in order to create an artificial island. This utopian project began in 1997 and is not yet completed (for instance, a large harbour for large cruise ships - which for now cannot access to the shore - is planned …).
Hulhumale is essentially an extension of Male proper, complete with Soviet-looking apartment blocks, shops and (in the future) government offices. Strangely enough for an artificial island, there is a nice beach.

31. Second phase of the project : reclaiming land around Farukolhufushi Island (the green dot in the middle)

32. A school

33. Apartment blocks built by Chinese workers (locally nicknamed ‘Chinatown’)’’

34. Quite luxurious apartment blocks

36. Soviet-looking buildings

37. Main mosque

38. Shopping center

39. Local cafe (no women !!)

40. A new shopping complex

41. No comment !!

42. HIMMAFUSHI ISLAND
Himmafushi is a small island with a picturesque village. A few guesthouses can be found there (from 2009, tourists are allowed to stay outside of resort islands, while beforehands it was forbidden). It is renowned for surf. It is a good place to be acquainted with local life.

43. From above (the forested part -bottom- is the once separate Gaamaadhoo island, and now it is a prison)

44. Traditional boat

45. Fish factory

46. Making fish paste (boiling fish residues during half a day)

48. Fish residues used to prepare fish paste : well, when you see that, you would better forget about tasting locally made fish paste … !

49. Main square (near harbour)

50. Local transportation

51. Typical back street

54. ‘Undholis’ (ubiquitous swing seats)

55. A glimpse inside a local home

56. Mosque

57. Local shipyard

58. Political propaganda (right) & mural (Himmafushi is renowned for surf) (bottom)

59. Beach

60. Souvenir shop (tourists visit this island as there are many resorts on islands nearby)

61. ‘Souvenirs’
END