Gaafaru
Gaafaru 
    ގާފަރު  | |
|---|---|
Gaafaru Atoll (Landsat image)  | |
![]() Gaafaru Location in Maldives  | |
| Coordinates: 04°44′10″N 73°29′55″E / 4.73611°N 73.49861°E | |
| Country | Maldives | 
| Administrative atoll | Kaafu Atoll | 
| Distance to Malé | 62.03 km (38.54 mi) | 
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 0.525 km (0.326 mi) | 
| • Width | 0.450 km (0.280 mi) | 
| Population  (2022)[1]  | |
 • Total  | 1,294 (including foreigners) | 
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) | 
Gaafaru (Dhivehi: ގާފަރު) is one of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll, the only island of the natural atoll known as Gaafaru.
Geography
The island is 62.03 km (39 mi; 33 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[2]
Gahaafaru Atoll
Gahaafaru or Gaafaru (Northern Reef) is a large elliptical reef with only a small inhabited island at its eastern end. This reef has proved disastrous to many vessels. Gaafaru reef is as much a separate atoll as Goifulhafehendhu Atoll or Rasdhukuramathi Atoll which are similar in structure and size. It is separated from Kagi (the northernmost island of North Malé Atoll) by a narrow but deep channel - the Gaafaru Kandu. Its lagoon has an average depth of 16 fathoms (29 m) and has no coral patches or shoals in its centre. Gaafaru is a small island surrounded by a big reef.
Demography
| Year | Pop. | ±% | 
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 800 | — | 
| 2014 | 1,066 | +33.2% | 
| 2015 | 1,377 | +29.2% | 
| 2016 | 1,409 | +2.3% | 
| 2017 | 1,452 | +3.1% | 
| 2018 | 1,478 | +1.8% | 
| 2019 | 1,510 | +2.2% | 
| 2020 | 1,532 | +1.5% | 
| 2021 | 1,566 | +2.2% | 
| 2022 | 1,588 | +1.4% | 
| 2023 | 1,614 | +1.6% | 
| 2006-2023: Census populations Source: [1][3]  | ||
References
- ^ a b "Table P3: Resident Population by place of enumeration and by island, 2014-2022" (PDF). Maldives Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
 - ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
 - ^ "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
 
- Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh. Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā l Markazu. Reprint 1958 edn. Malé 1990.
 - Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī.
 - Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999.l
 
