Gaafaru

Gaafaru (Dhivehi: ގާފަރު) is one of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll, the only island of the natural atoll known as Gaafaru.

Gaafaru ގާފަރު
Inhabited island
Gaafaru Atoll (Landsat image)
Gaafaru Location in Maldives
Coordinates: 04°44′10″N 73°29′55″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)

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

Historical population

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]