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Kelaa (Haa Alif Atoll)

Island in Thiladhunmathi Atoll, Maldives

Kelaa ކެލާ
island
Kelaa Location in Maldives
Coordinates: 6°57′11″N 73°12′56″E / 6.95306°N 73.21556°E / 6.95306; 73.21556
Country	Maldives
Geographic atoll	Thiladhunmathi Atoll
Administrative atoll	Haa Alif Atoll
Distance to Malé	309.66 km (192.41 mi)
Government
• Council	Kelaa Island Council
Area
• Land	203.37 ha (502.54 acres)
Dimensions
• Length	3.06 km (1.90 mi)
• Width	1.04 km (0.65 mi)
Population  (2022)
• Total	1,117
Time zone	UTC+05:00 (MST)
Area code(s)	650, 20

Kelaa (Dhivehi: ކެލާ) is one of the inhabited islands of Haa Alif Atoll and geographically part of Thiladhummathi Atoll in the north of the Maldives. It is an island-level administrative constituency governed by the Kelaa Island Council.

Kelaa is one of the northernmost islands of the Maldives, specifically on the North-North-East tip, making it the closest point in the Maldives to India, approximately 440km from Trivandrum. Due to the location as an entry point, the name Kelaa is believed to have originated from the South Asian languages Hindi and Urdu, where kholar or kholaa (खोला) means an open space or entrance. Alternatively, some believe the name comes from the fish ‘Keyla mas’ or Yellowthread threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis)^[1] Other stories suggests that early sailors, upon smelling sandalwood on the wind as they approached the island, discovered a sandalwood tree upon arrival. The word for sandalwood in the native Dhivehi language is also Kelaa.

History[edit]

In 1934, the British established a staging post here and until the end of World War II, it functioned as the northerly counterpart to RAF Gan in the south of the country. A mosque built during the reign of Sultan Mohamed Ibn Ali (Muhammad Mohyeddine) (AD 1692-1701) of the Utheemy Dynastry still stands today as a historical place of interest on the island. This was the king who re-established the Islamic penal code.

Geography[edit]

Kelaa with its geographical coordinates 6° 57' 11.848" N 73° 12' 56.971" E , has a total land area of 203.37 hectares (2.03 sqkm). The island features a coastline stretching 8.6 km, with corals and rocky on its eastern side (Futtaru ފުއްޓަރު) and sandy shores on its western face (Athiri އަތިރި). Kelaa is renowned for its expansive turquoise lagoon, covering 2,423 hectares, which is approximately 12 times larger than the island itself, alongside its white sandy beaches. However, Kelaa is primarily recognised for its agricultural landscape, which includes significant wetlands as part of its natural environment.

These wetlands cover 26 hectares, accounting for 10.8% of the island's total land area. Since June 2019, this area has been designated as a protected area by the Ministry of Environment^[2], serving as a natural reserve with abundant mangroves. The wetlands host a significant population of the mangrove species such as Small-leafed orange mangrove, Kan'doo ކަނޑޫ, Mangrove apple, Kulhlhavah ކުއްޅަވައް, with some Mangrove trees over 50 years old. ^[3] During World War II, when food scarcity was widespread,Kan'doo provided crucial food security, making Kelaa more resilient than nearby islands.

This ecosystem also supports both endemic and migratory bird species as well. ^[4] Some observed species include protected species such as Grey heron (Maakana މާކަނާ) Cattle egret (Iruvaahudhu އިރުވާހުދު) White-breasted waterhen (Kan'bili ކަނބިލި) Black-crowned night heron (Raabon'dhi ރާބޮނދި) Koel (Koveli ކޮވެލި).

Demography[edit]

Source: Census Records. Maldives Bureau of Statistics

Notes[edit]

External links[edit]

• ha.kelaa more info

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