Gaafaru | |
|---|---|
.JPG) 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) |
| 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.
The island is 62.03 km (39 mi; 33 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[2]
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 (30 m) and has no coral patches or shoals in its centre. Gaafaru is a small island surrounded by a big reef.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 800 | — |
| 2014 | 1,354 | +69.2% |
| 2015 | 1,377 | +1.7% |
| 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 | 1,589 | +1.5% |
| 2006-2022: Census populations Source: [3] | ||
