Hithadhoo ( Dhivehi: ހިތަދޫ) is a district of

Addu City Addu City is a city in Maldives that consists of the inhabited islands of Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the archipelago. Addu City is the second-largest urban area in Maldives, in terms of population, and is one of the two urban areas ...

, in the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

. Hithadhoo is the main administrative district of Addu City, with many of the administrative buildings in this district. The town is situated on the island of the same name, the westernmost of

Addu Atoll Seenu Atoll, historically known as Addu Atoll, is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. Addu Atoll, together with Fuvahmulah, located 40 km north of Addu Atoll, extend the Maldives into the Southern Hemisphere. Addu Atoll is located 540& ...

(previously known as Seenu Atoll). In terms of population, Hithadhoo is home to the largest population in Addu City. According to the 2014 Census, with 11,129 residents, Hithadhoo also has the largest population of any administrative island in Maldives, a category that excludes the much larger national capital,

Malé Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 211,908 in 2022 within its administrative area and coterminous geographical area of , Malé is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city i ...

Geography

The island is south of the country's capital,

. Hithadhoo is the second largest island in the Maldives, with a surface area of . It has a length of and a width of at its widest point. The part of the island south of the town is lushly vegetated with palms and

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s, whilst the northern end of the island consists of a partially stony, unreal

scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

, which can be explored only on narrow trails. Hithadhoo Town is marked by dusty roads, narrow lanes, leaning houses and dense vegetation. Island traffic is generally quite colourful, particularly when hundreds of island school children dressed in a multitude of differently coloured

school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution. They are common in primary school, primary and secondary schools in various countries and are generally widespread in Africa, Asia, O ...

s queue up for buses.

Climate

Hithadhoo has a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Am'').

Population

According to the 2014 census, Hithadhoo has a population of some 11,129 residents, and is the second largest settlement in the Maldives. The Addu dialect of

Dhivehi language Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, is the main language, used in the Maldive Islands. This may refer to: * Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands * Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly sp ...

is spoken by most of the people who live here. The Addu dialect is closely related to dialects spoken on nearby atolls. It is also the second most spoken dialect in the whole Maldives after Malé dialect.

Economy

Youth (15–20) unemployment rate is at a high 46% (37% Male: 54% Female); the proportion of population having telephone connections is 96%.Hithadhoo - Inhabited Island - Seenu Atoll
isles.egov.mv

Services

Education

Hithadhoo has a number of educational institutions; 3

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

s (nursery schools), three primary and three secondary schools as well as a college. Most Hithadhoo residents complete their education up to

Ordinary Level Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (album) (2011), by Every Little Thing * "Ordinary" (Alex Warren song) (2025) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016 ...

on the island itself, whilst a few options to continue their studies in Malé or abroad. A certain number of youngsters from neighbouring islands, mainly from

Maradhoo Maradhoo (Dhivehi language, Dhivehi: މަރަދޫ) is one of the inhabited islands of the Addu Atoll (also known as Seenu Atoll). Overview Maradhoo is located in the middle of the island chain on the Western side of Addu City. To the North ar ...

Maradhoo-Feydhoo Maradhoo-Feydhoo (Dhivehi language, Dhivehi: މަރަދޫފޭދޫ) is a district of Addu City, in the Maldives. The district borders the district of Maradhoo (Addu), Maradhoo to the north, as they both share the same natural island, and the dis ...

, and Feydhoo attend sharafuddin School, a secondary school on Hithadhoo, to complete their O-level studies. Several students from other atolls like

Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah (Dhivehi language, Dhivehi: ފުވައްމުލައް) is an island (atoll) in the Maldives. It is under Maldives' administrative division of Gnaviyani Atoll, Gnaviyani (or Nyaviyani) Atoll. The island is the second southernmost admini ...

attend secondary schools on Hithadhoo in order to have a better education than can be had on their home islands.

Healthcare

The government has provided the residents with a hospital. This hospital has a regional function and provides around-the-clock care. Most residents of neighbouring islands visit Hithadhoo Regional Hospital to receive treatment for their ailments. People from atolls and islands further afield, such as Fuvammulah and Huvadhu Atoll also occasionally visit to receive medical treatment, although most opt for hospitals in the Southern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

which provides a much wider range of facilities than available in Maldives. Apart from this, there are some private clinics lik
Eye Care Clinic
Eye Care is a reputed private organization in Maldives for its quality service with qualified Ophthalmologists and Optometrists and branded items. It is the largest eye-care provider in Maldives with its six outlets in different parts of the country including the one in S. Hithadhoo.

References

External links

Addu tourist board site

Addu Atoll Pictures

Hithadhoo - Inhabited Island - Seenu Atoll
isles.egov.mv {{Islands of the Maldives Populated places in the Maldives Addu Atoll