Huvadhu Atoll

[citation needed] Sultan Mohamed IV was married to Khadheeja Kan’ba, daughter of Ibrahim Shah Bandar also known as Isdhoo Bodu Velaanaa Thakurufaan.

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.

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 led 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.

The inhabitants of this large atoll speak their own distinct form of the Dhivehi language, known as Huvadu dialect (bahuruva).

Because of the isolation from the Northern Atolls, and the capital of Malé, the Huvadhu dialect is significantly different from the other variants of the Maldive language, making much use of the retroflex 'Ţ' and allegedly retaining old forms of Dhivehi.