Thuraakunu (Dhivehi: ތުރާކުނު) is the northernmost island in Maldives, one of the fourteen inhabited islands of Haa Alif Atoll and is geographically part of the Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the Maldives. It is an island-level administrative constituency governed by the Thuraakunu Island Council.
Thuraakunu
ތުރާކުނު | |
|---|---|
  Thuraakunu Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates: 7°6′18″N 72°54′07″E / 7.10500°N 72.90194°E | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | Ihavandhippolhu Atoll |
| Administrative atoll | Haa Alif Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 330.89 km (205.61 mi) |
| Government | |
| • Council | Thuraakunu Island Council |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| • Width | 0.38 km (0.24 mi) |
| Population (2014)[1] | |
| • Total | 421 (including foreigners) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
| Area code(s) | 650, 20 |
| Thuraakunu Lighthouse | |
| Foundation | concrete base |
| Construction | metal skeletal tower |
| Shape | square pyramidal skeletal tower[2][3] |
| Focal height | 15 m (49 ft)  |
| Range | 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 5s |
History edit
Thuraakunu is the closest island to Minicoy. Formerly there was direct trade between both, and fishermen from both islands used to visit each other. This exchange continued even after Minicoy became part of the Indian Union after independence. However, after 1956 the Indian government forbade these visits. Now, despite the geographical proximity and ethnographic similarities, people from both islands are not allowed to meet each other.
Geography edit
The island is 330.89 km (206 mi; 179 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.[4]
Demography edit
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 347 | — |
| 2014 | 393 | +13.3% |
| 2006-2014: Census populations Source: [5] | ||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 33. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ List of Lights, Pub. 112: Western Pacific and Indian Oceans Including the Persian Gulf and Red Sea (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2015.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Maldives". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
- ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- Bell, H.C.P.: The Maldive Islands, An account of the physical features, History, Inhabitants, Productions and Trade. Colombo 1883.
- Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999, ISBN 84-7254-801-5
External links edit
- Isles: Thuraakunu Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
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