Addu City

Addu is one of the oldest populated atoll in the country with the Island of Meedhoo having traces of settlements as far back as 2000 BCE.

The original settlers are said to be from Western regions of Gujarat and Bihar state of modern-day India.

Addu Atoll map in 1976.

In August 1941, the netlayer HMS Guardian landed Royal Navy construction crews on Addu Atoll in the Maldives Islands to begin work on a secret naval base for Britain's Eastern Fleet. Though in public British leaders continued to point to Singapore as the lynchpin of the Far Eastern defenses, they had already grown concerned that the “Malay Barrier” of Malaya, Sumatra and Java could not be held in the event of a Japanese attack.

The British Eastern Fleet had left most of its base facilities in Singapore, including drydocks and repair sheds. In the event of Singapore's loss, it was to fall back on Trincomalee on Ceylon's eastern coast. But Admiral James Somerville, the fleet commander, found the port inadequate and doubted that it could be defended from determined attack. He wanted an alternative base somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean, which became known as “Port T.” Not openly stated, but understood, was that such a secret island base would also be secure from the prying eyes of Indian nationalists, all of whom were suspected of being in league with the Japanese during the paranoid days of late 1941.

Addu Atoll, also known as Seenu, is the southernmost island group in the Maldives. It consists of several large islands ringing a deep lagoon. There are several channels leading into the lagoon, with the best of these at the southern end of the atoll. The Royal Navy selected the southernmost island, Gan (pronounced "Yahn") for their airfield and began construction of three crushed-coral airstrips for the Fleet Air Arm. This was turned over to the Royal Air Force in 1957 and became “RAF Station Gan,” an airfield that would be used intermittently until 1971. The FAA airfield on Gan in theory could handle all aircraft in the British inventory, but it had short runways and larger bombers often crashed on landing.

While troops hacked down the jungle on Gan and prepared the airstrips, Catalina and Sunderland flying boats began operating from the jetties on the north shore of Gan. The airfield's most important facilities were the big oil tanks built on Gan and on Hitaddu Island on the western edge of the atoll. These would by necessity be visible from far out at sea, but the islands’ low elevation made this inevitable, no matter where they were placed.

The 1st Royal Marine Coast Defence Regiment provided the garrison troops, manning shore batteries and anti-aircraft guns on all six of the atoll's major islands. To facilitate the defence, the important islands on the western edge of the atoll would eventually be linked by a light railway across causeways built up between the islands, but this was not operational until much later in the war. Except for the Gan Channel, the other openings were permanently closed by anti-submarine nets.

A pair of Australian refrigerator ships were requisitioned in Sydney, loaded with canned foods, several tons of American-made cigarettes and 5,200 gallons of rum, and stationed in the lagoon to re-supply British warships. These had Chinese crews and Australian civilian officers, and most of the work was handled by Maldivians hired from the local population.

Addu Atoll has since become a major tourist destination, but British personnel assigned there in 1942 despised the post. Morale appears to have been very low among the garrison, and ships’ crews considered it a hardship post. Forty miles south of the equator, the islands are very hot and extremely humid. Gan had no recreational facilities and the local women were strictly off-limits.

The Japanese were not aware of the base's existence during the April 1942 carrier raids in the Indian Ocean, and Somerville's fleet used it extensively. Later in the war, submarine reconnaissance established the base's existence, but by this point the Imperial Navy had no designs for a large-scale offensive in the Indian Ocean. The German submarine U-183 did torpedo the tanker British Loyalty in March 1944, making an impressive long-range shot from outside the atoll through a gap in the anti-torpedo nets.

The Royal Navy established a base ("Port T") – later RAF Gan from 1957 – on the island of Gan (Addu City) (pronounced “Gun”) in 1941, during World War II. During the Cold War it was used as an outpost.

The original naval base was established as a fall-back for the British Eastern Fleet. Despite public pronouncements to the contrary, the official view was that the main base at Singapore would be untenable if the Japanese made serious headway in Malaya and Java – which, in the event, is what happened in 1942. The intention had been to operate from Trincomalee, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Upon inspection, however, the naval commander-in-chief, Admiral James Somerville found the port inadequate, vulnerable to a determined attack and open to spying. An isolated island base with a safe, deep anchorage in a suitably strategic position was required, and Addu City met the requirements. Once available, its facilities were used extensively by the Fleet.

Royal Navy engineers landed in August 1941 from HMS Guardian to clear and construct airstrips on Gan for the Fleet Air Arm. In the interim, Catalina and Sunderland flying boats operated from jetties on the northern, sheltered side of Gan. Large oil tanks were built on Gan, and on Hitaddu Island on the western edge of the atoll; vital elements for a naval base. These were visible from a long distances at sea, but this was unavoidable, given the atoll's low profile.

Ship's supplies for the fleet were provided from a pair of Australian refrigerated ships, Changte and Taiping that included Attu in a number of bases that they serviced regularly. Three times these ships replenished forty or more ships of the Eastern Fleet. Several large Second Australian Imperial Force troop convoys also refueled at Addu on their way from Aden to Fremantle, Western Australia.

The six major islands were garrisoned by the 1st Royal Marine Coast Defense Regiment, manning shore batteries and anti-aircraft guns. To facilitate the defense, causeways were built connecting the western islands of Gan, Aboohéra, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo. And, much later in the war, they were linked by a light railway. Addu was an unpopular posting due to the hot, humid climate, lack of recreational facilities and lack of socializing with the local population.

The Japanese remained unaware of the base's existence until their plans for expansion in south-east Asia had come to nothing, even during their carrier raids in the Indian Ocean in April 1942. Later in the war, submarine reconnaissance established the base's existence. Despite openings into the lagoon being permanently closed by anti-submarine nets, the German submarine U-183 torpedoed the tanker British Loyalty in March 1944 (she had been previously torpedoed and sunk at Diego Suarez); it was an impressive long-range shot from outside the atoll through a gap in the anti-torpedo nets. Although seriously damaged, the tanker did not sink. She was not fully repaired but kept as a Ministry of War Transport Oil Fuel Storage Vessel. There was significant oil pollution after this incident and British personnel were used to clean the lagoon.

On 5 January 1946, British Loyalty was scuttled in a lagoon southeast of Hithadhoo Island in the Addu City. After some years of leaking oil, she has become a popular dive location and a haven for the local marine life.

In 1957, the naval base was transferred to the Royal Air Force. As RAF Station Gan, it remained in intermittent service until 1975, when British Forces withdrew.

Most of the employees who had experience working for the British military had good English fluency. When RAF Station Gan closed, they turned to the nascent tourism industry for employment. As a result, there was an influx of Addu people to Malé seeking employment in the nearby resorts and also looking for education to their children. Ex RAF Gan is now a tourist resort, an equator village, with the airstrip now being Gan International Airport.

Abdullah Afif, leader of the secessionist United Suvadive Republic (1959–1963)

The United Suvadive Republic (Dhivehi: އެކުވެރި ސުވާދީބު ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ) or Suvadive Islands was a short-lived breakaway nation in the remote Southern Atolls of the Maldive Islands, namely Addu Atoll, Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah that geographically make up the Suvadive archipelago.

The name of this nation was originally an ancient name for the three southernmost atolls of the Maldives. Suvadive (Dhivehi: ސުވާދީބު) is based on the ancient name for Huvadhu Atoll, which is by far the largest in the small southern atoll group if fact Huvadhu\Suvadive atoll is the second largest atoll formation. Huvadhu Atoll was also called Suadou by Pyrard. Huvadhu atoll was marked as 'Suvadina' in Dutch colonial era Maps.

The Suvadive secession occurred within in the context of the struggle of the Maldives emerging as a modern nation, but still shackled by feudal and autocratic power structures. The alleged causes were the centralistic policies of the government in Malé and the recent independence of both neighboring countries, India and Ceylon. At that time the Maldives had remained a British protectorate. The Suvadives declared independence on 3 January 1959. They capitulated, rejoining the rest of the nation on 23 September 1963.

Addu's Equatorial Convention Centre, 2011

Speaking to press at the President's Office, Nasheed said that after official discussions with the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), the parties agreed to jointly propose amendments to the Decentralisation Act, based on the results of the referendum, and list administrative constituencies by October 2017.[1]

“When the islands are announced, there will be a major change to the largest atoll in the south, Addu Atoll” he said, “In my view, the results of the referendum showed very clearly that citizens of the atoll want to develop as a city. So we will designate Addu Atoll as one city island. Addu Atoll is an island with the districts Hithadhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Maradhoo, Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo.”

Instead of an atoll office, he continued, the southernmost atoll will have a municipality run by an elected municipal council.

With over 30,000 inhabitants, Addu Atoll is the second largest population centre in the country. However, as much as 60 percent of some islands currently reside in the capital Male’.

President Nasheed denied that the results and the low turnout was a failure of the government, as small islands rejected the government proposal for administrative consolidation with larger islands.

“In a democracy, if an election is seen as useless, there’s nothing I have to say about that,” he said.

Moreover, Nasheed argued that establishing a nationwide transport network was the government's policy on population consolidation, as outlined in the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) manifesto, as opposed to “taking a population and settling them in another island.”

While the referendum revealed that small islands did not want to “lose their identity”, Nasheed said that a secret ballot was needed to determine the views of the electorate as he routinely received petitions from islanders requesting relocation.

According to official results, of 26,676 people who participated in the referendum, 16,695 voted in favour of the proposal while 8,402 voted against it.

However, of the six islands in Addu Atoll where voting took place, citizens of Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Feydhoo, meedhoo and Hulhudhoo endorsed the proposal, while islanders of Feydhoo and Meedhoo rejected it.

The first and only mayor of the city is Abdulla Sodiq, who was elected in February 2011 to a three-year term and re-elected in February 2014 to another three-year term.

The White tern primarily feed on smaller fish which it catches by plunge diving down on the surface, but it does not submerge fully. It is a long-lived bird, having been recorded living for 18 years.

This small sea bird is well known for laying a single speckled egg on exposed thin branches in a small joint or depression without a nest. The thin branches it chooses is act of predator-avoidance behavior, crows (Corvus splendens maledivicus) and even rats avoid sitting or climbing small branches. However, terns are vulnerable to strong winds and the chicks have sophisticated sharp clawed feet to cling on fragile branches.

The 17th SAARC summit was hosted by Addu City and neighboring Fuvahmulah in November 2011. The preparations for the summit brought numerous developments to the city, including the building of a convention centre, development of roads and public places, renovation of Gan International Airport and the regional hospital, more job opportunities among many others.

The names of the halls and rooms in the convention centre have been named after historical and cultural places and aspects of Addu and the atolls of the Maldives with the main convention hall called 'Bodu Kiba'.[3]

The public lobby has been named ‘Addu Thalhanmathi’ with ‘Velaanaa Fendaa’, ‘Eggamu Fendaa’, ‘Kakaa Fendaa’ and ‘Athiree Fendaa’ declared as names for the rooms of the convention centre. ‘Rasruku Kibaa’ is the name of the main banquet hall.[3]

The two-storey convention centre, which has been built for the SAARC Summit with an Rf150 million budget, has an administrative office named ‘Mulee Kotari’, a Business Centre called ‘Badikoshee Kotari’ and a Meeting Room named ‘Dhandikoshee’.[3]

The delegation offices have been named after the atolls of the Maldives; ‘Thiladhunmathi Kotari’, Faadhippolhu Kotari’, ‘Ihavandhippolhu Kotari’, ‘Hadhunmathi Kotari’, ‘Huvadhoo Kotari’, ‘Kolhumadulu Kotari’, ‘Nilandhe Kotari’ and ‘Maalhosmadulu Kotari’.[3]

Rooms located on the first floor include the ‘Dhondhanbu Kibaa’ and ‘Jaafaanu Kibaa’ Function Rooms. The Seminar Rooms located on the first floor have been named as ‘Mas’udi Kotari’, ‘Pyrad Kotari’, ‘Abu’l Barakat Kotari’, ‘Batuta Kotari’, ‘Kalhuoh Fummi Kotari’, ‘Thirnaa Kotari, ‘Jaliyaa Kotari’ and ‘Kalhihaara Kotari’.

The 16-kilometres (9.9 mi) Addu Link Road causeway is the second longest paved causeway in the Maldives. It joins Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-feydhoo, Feydhoo, and Gan.

The Addu Link Road was the site of the second longest banner ever to be displayed in the Maldives.

Since its construction, a number of fatal accidents have occurred on the Addu Link Road, which local news sources have ascribed to high speeds and reckless driving. Addu City is connected via ferry from Hulhumeedhoo ward to Feydhoo.

Gan International Airport is the airport serving Addu City, located on the island of Gan nearby. First built by the British Royal Navy, and transferred to the Royal Air Force as RAF Gan, the Gan International Airport was originally a military airbase built during World War II and commissioned until the 1970s. The United Kingdom transferred ownership to the government of the Maldives, and it was converted for use as a domestic airport. Recently the airport was upgraded to international standards in preparation for international flights expected with the opening of tourist resorts in the area. The airport was privatised under a 30-year contract signed in June 2010. A new VVIP lounge also has been built for the SAARC summit.