Kudarikilu (Baa Atoll)

Maldives Island
ImageExists=No
island

island=Kudarikilu
atoll=Baa Atoll
location=
population=535
length=520m
width=370m
area=13.7 ha
male-distance=133.37 km
island_chief=
phone= [phone]
fax= [phone]

Kudarikilu (Dhivehi: ކުޑަރިކިލު) is one of the inhabited islands of Southern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll (Baa Atoll).

Middle Maalhosmadulhu or Fasdūtherē (Natural Atoll)

The northern part of administrative South Maalhosmadulhu forms a clearly delimited, roughly triangular, natural atoll called Middle Maalhosmadulhu or 'Fasdūtherē' (meaning 'between five islands'), with a total area of 135 km² [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf] . On its southwest corner stands Kudarikilu Island, the only inhabited one of the Middle Maalhosmadulhu Atoll, with an area of 13.7 ha (0.137 km²) [http://www.planning.gov.mv/publications/yrb2006/yrb05/yearbook/1%20Geography/1.5.htm] . In addition, there are 10 smaller, uninhabited islets on the rim of the atoll. The total land area is about 0.3 km². The lagoon becomes narrower towards the west and its average depth is 19 fathoms. The Atoll is separated from North Maalhosmadulhu by a deep channel (Moresby Channel in the Admiralty chart) and from the southern part of South Maalhosmadulhu by a narrower channel running from east to west.

=Historical event=In 1915, during World War I, a large steel mine drifted to a beach on this island. The locals didn't know what it was, so they began to hit it with iron rods, wondering what was inside.The mine exploded killing many people, including some onlookers.This tragic event is known as "Kudarikilu bomuge haadisaa".

References

*"Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru". Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī. Malé 1999.
*"The Islands of Maldives". Hasan A. Maniku. Novelty. Male 1983.

Kudarikilu