page_title: Huvadhu Atoll
section_title: Secession of the Suvadive Islands
hierarchical_section_title: Huvadhu Atoll / History / Secession of the Suvadive Islands
caption_attribution_description: English: artwork based on patches of old pictures
context_page_description: Huvadhu is a large atoll located south of the Suvadiva Channel the Republic of Maldives. Etymologically it was called Suvadhinmathi or Suvadiva, with a total area of 3152 km², of which 38.5 km² is dry land. The atoll contains 255 islands, the most in the Maldives.
  It is the second largest geographical atoll in the country, after Boduthiladhunmathi which has smaller and fewer islands spread across a larger area.
  Huvadu Atoll has been divided into two districts for administrative purposes since the 1970s. These divisions are Northern Huvadhu Atoll in the north, and Southern Huvadhu Atoll.
  During his journey to Maldives, Ibn Batuta states in his journal that Maldives was destitute of grain, except in the province of Souweid where they produce a cereal, a kind of Millet which was brought to Mahal.
  The traditional seat of power in the Huvadhu was Thinadhoo up until the division, after which Thinadhoo remained the Capital of South Huvadhu Atoll, and Villingili was instated as the capital of North Huvadhu Atoll.
  The master carpenters of the iconic Male' Hukuru Miskiy were from Huvadu, Kondey island. They were Ali Maavadi Kaleyfaanu and Mahmud Maavadi Kaleyfaanu.
context_section_description: In January 1959, the three southern atolls: Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu, were involved in setting up the breakaway United Suvadive Republic which survived until September 1963. The name of the secessionist state was taken from the ancient name of this atoll.
  In some islands, like Gaddhoo, there was opposition to the secession, however through threats and coercion, the groups of people opposing the Suvadive state were forced to agree.
  The republic collapsed when the island of Havaru Thinadhoo was depopulated, and all infrastructure burnt to the ground by the Maldivian military lead by then Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir in 1962, after which it was left uninhabited for four years. For the next 10 years, the seat of power was moved to Gaddhoo until Havaru Thinadhoo, since repopulated, was reinstated as the capital of Huvadhoo.
  The main motivation for secession was stated to be disagreements with the centralized policies that were being enforced by Male' at the time.
caption: Abdullah Afif, leader of the secessionist United Suvadive Republic (1959-1963)
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