Milandhoo (Shaviyani Atoll) should not be confused with Miladhoo (Noonu Atoll).
| Milandhoo | |
| Native Name Lang: | dv |
| Settlement Type: | Inhabited island |
| Pushpin Map: | Maldives |
| Pushpin Relief: | y |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Maldives |
| Coordinates: | 6.2847°N 73.2433°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Maldives |
| Subdivision Type1: | Geographic atoll |
| Subdivision Name1: | Miladhummadulhu Atoll |
| Subdivision Type2: | Administrative atoll |
| Subdivision Name2: | Shaviyani Atoll |
| Subdivision Type3: | Distance to Malé |
| Subdivision Name3: | 235.12km (146.1miles) |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Parts Type: | Geographic atolls |
| Parts Style: | list |
| Leader Title: | Council |
| Leader Title3: | Mayor |
| Leader Title4: | Council President |
| Leader Name4: | Abdullah Athif |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 2529 |
| Population As Of: | 2014 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Utc Offset: | +05:00 |
| Postal Code Type: | Assigned Letter |
| Postal2 Code Type: | Assigned Letter |
| Area Code Type: | Area code(s) |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Number of Islands |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Inhabited |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Uninhabited |
| Blank3 Name Sec2: | Total |
Milandhoo (Dhivehi: މިލަންދޫ) is an island in the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division of the Maldives and geographically part of the Miladhummadulhu group in Thiladhunmati Atoll.
Milandhoo was uninhabited in 1997, when the Maldive's Minister of Atolls Abdulla Hameed launched a project to construct houses there and relocate residents from the neighboring island Maakandoodhoo, where the water had become contaminated.[2] The resettlement was hastened in 2004, when the Boxing Day tsunami severely damaged Maakandoodhoo.[3] The government officially recognized Milandhoo as an inhabited island on 20 March 2005. With more than 2140 residents, it is now the most populous island in Shaviyani Atoll.
The island is 235.120NaN0 north of the country's capital, Malé.[4]
Milandhoo is at 06°17′05″N 73°14′36″E in the southeast of Shaviyani atoll between Maakandoodhoo and Nalandhoo. Covering 126 hectares, Milandhoo is the largest island in the atoll.
In northwestern Milandhoo is a lake, Sikundi Kulhi ("Prawn Lake"), so named because of its abundant prawns and shrimp, which are transparent and up to 1.5inches long. Barracudas and a few other fish species also inhabit the lake, while crabs and hermit crabs live around its shore. Sikundi Kulhi is about 350feet long, 250feet wide, and up to 5feet deep. Clay deposited at its center is used for traditional medicine. Bottle gourd plants, ironwood, sea hibiscus and mangroves are common nearby, while great morinda and coconut palm are rare.
In southwestern Milandhoo is a pond, Rayy Kulhi ("Red Pond"), so named because debris from bottle gourd plants and mangroves in the surrounding swamp redden its water. It is smaller and shallower than Sikundi Kulhi, but a popular picnic destination.
Plantain is Milandhoo's main agricultural product and has been grown commercially there since 2006, on farms from 2000square feet to 12000square feet in size. Farmers sell the plantains throughout Shaviyani Atoll and in Malé. Clearing for agriculture has been causing deforestation.