Fuvahmulah is an island atoll in the Maldives. It is the 3rd largest island in the Maldives in the division of Gnaviyani Atoll or Nyaviyani Atoll by size and population. It is said that the island was depopulated and resettled thrice in the last thousand years owing to lethal epidemics. The last time the survivors of the epidemic went to the neighboring Addu, Huvadhu, and Haddhunmathi Atolls and stayed there for a few years. The inhabitants speak a distinctive form of the Dhivehi language, known as “Fuvahmulaki Baha”.
One of the southernmost islands it is one of the nearest to the equator. In the past, Fuvahmulah was a small coral atoll whose southern end was open at a spot called Diyarehifaando and the inside of the island was a saltwater lagoon forming a natural harbor. There is a spot on the southern end known as Kudhuheraival (forest of a small islet), which indicates there was a small separate islet over there in ancient times. The channel connecting the lagoon with the ocean was closed by massive coral boulders in the past. Thus the inside of the island is lower than its edges. In time the inner lagoon lost its saltiness and all that remains today are two small lakes, wetlands, and marshy taro fields.
The northern lake of the island is known as “Dhadimagi Kilhi” (lit. “Lake of Dhadimagu” or “Dhadimagu Lake” since the lake is located in the Dhadimagu ward of the island) and the southern is “Bandaara Kilhi. Fuvahmulah was inaccessible to seafarers in the past. In the early 2000s, a harbor was built at the southeast tip of the island, which minimized the problem to a certain extent. The construction of a domestic airport has started recently. Being the nearest atoll to the Equator and the first atoll in the Southern Hemisphere among the atolls of the Maldives, Fuvahmulah has many features which make the island unique.
Being a one-island atoll itself and the third largest island in the Maldives (if not for land reclamation), Fuvahmulah includes a diverse range of habitats ranging from tropical woodlands and wetlands to freshwater lakes, well-vegetated marshland areas, white sandy beaches of different variations, and pebble texture plus gravel beaches and fertile lands of humus greater in area than any other island in the Maldives. The two freshwater lakes on the island plus the many numbers of swamps and marshland areas in the island give habitat to a different plant and animal species not to be found anywhere else in the Maldives. Also, the dense forest of Syzygium cumini (Jambul), locally known as “Dhanvah Baal” to the North of Dhadimagi Kilhi is the largest vegetation of Jambul to be found anywhere in the Maldives since this plant variety is nearly extinct elsewhere in the country.
Fuvahmulah is also the largest producer of mangoes in the Maldives. Fuvahmulah also produces pineapples and oranges which cannot be found anywhere else in the country. Located 494 km south of the country’s capital, Malé; wetland areas of Fuvahmulah are mostly made up of dense vegetation ranging from ferns to reeds to taro fields. There is an abundance of water spinach locally known as Mahilanbo and plant varieties such as Syzygium cumini (jambul), pond-apple, mango, pineapple, screwpine, tropical almond, cheese fruit, ambarella, banana, and many more.
Fuvahmulah is also home to the largest farmland area and is the largest agriculture producer in the country. Known for its pristine white beaches there are numerous hotels and resorts on the islands. Like other islands, the Fuvahmulah is a major adventure sports spot and is most sought after by tourists visiting the Maldives. Known for its abundant flora and fauna both on land and underwater. The island has numerous places to visit. There are several educational institutions on the island that makes the education hub in the southern part of the country. One of the most beautiful places for underwater scubadiving, whalewatching,shark watching, snoiorkling, swimming, Fuvahmulah is the must-visit place.
