Baarah ބާރަށް | |
|---|---|
  Baarah Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates:6°49′8″N73°12′30″E / 6.81889°N 73.20833°E /6.81889; 73.20833 | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | Thiladhunmathi Atoll |
| Administrative atoll | Haa Alif Atoll |
| Distance to Malé | 294.23 km (182.83 mi) |
| Government | |
| • Council | Baarah Island Council |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| • Width | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | |
• Total | 1,141 (including foreigners) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
| Area code(s) | 650, 20 |
Baarah (Dhivehi:ބާރަށް) is an inhabited island inHaa Alif Atoll in the northernMaldives. It is anisland-level administrative constituency governed by the Baarah Island Council.
Historically, Baarah was the island where the vesselKalhuohfummi was built in the latter half of the 16th century. The ship played a key role inSultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu's war against the Portuguese invasion of the country. The sails of the ship were made on the island ofMaroshi further south.
The island is 294.23 km (183 mi; 159 nmi) north of the country's capital,Malé.[2] The island is shaped like the letter 'ب 'in Arabic.
A large part of the shores are covered by a mangroves predominantly occupied byRhizophora mucronata andHibiscus tiliaceus. The soil around these areas is rich inhydrogen sulphide and is often avoided by islanders. The ecosystem is under threat due tologging,garbage dumping and poor management.
Now, the population has increased to 2000.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,203 | — |
| 2014 | 1,181 | −1.8% |
| 2022 | 1,141 | −3.4% |
| 2006-2022: Census populations Source:[3][4] | ||
| Haa Alif | ||
|---|---|---|
| Haa Dhaalu | ||
| Shaviyani | ||
| Noonu | ||
| Raa | ||
| Baa | ||
| Lhaviyani | ||
| Kaafu | ||
| Alif Alif | ||
| Alif Dhaalu | ||
| Vaavu | ||
| Meemu | ||
| Faafu | ||
| Dhaalu | ||
| Thaa | ||
| Laamu | ||
| Gaafu Alif | ||
| Gaafu Dhaalu | ||
| Gnaviyani | ||
