| Naifaru | |
| Native Name: | ނައިފަރު |
| Native Name Lang: | dv |
| Settlement Type: | Inhabited island |
| Pushpin Map: | Maldives |
| Pushpin Relief: | y |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Maldives |
| Coordinates: | 5.4444°N 73.3657°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Maldives |
| Subdivision Type1: | Geographic atoll |
| Subdivision Type2: | Administrative atoll |
| Subdivision Name2: | Faadhippolhu |
| Subdivision Type3: | Distance to Malé |
| Subdivision Name3: | 1000.23km (621.51miles) |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Parts Type: | Geographic atolls |
| Parts Style: | list |
| Leader Title: | Council |
| Leader Title3: | Mayor |
| Leader Title4: | Island Chief |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 0.5553 |
| Length Km: | 1.112 |
| Width Km: | 0.725 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 4103 (including foreigners) |
| 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 |
Naifaru is an island in the Maldives 200km (100miles) north of the capital, Malé. It is the capital and most populous island of Lhaviyani Atoll.
According to local historian late Ali Hussain, Naifaru has been inhabited for more than 400 years. He concluded this based on some evidences he observed. among these are:
Looking at all these evidences, Ali Hussain concludes Naifaru was inhabited at around 1000 AH (1591 CE).
Ali Hussain also saw a written document which says that when islands like Dhiffushimaidhoo and Huruvalhi were inhabited islands, Naifaru and Madivaru were uninhabited islands leased to a citizen of Huruvalhi. He had employed a group of people from Raa Atoll Kothaafaru to get toddy from palm trees of Naifaru and Madivaru. When a fight broke out in Huruvalhi, he came to Naifaru with his family and inhabited it. Ali Hussain says, he neither accepts this narration nor rejects it.
Naifaru is at 5.4444°′ north latitude and 73.3657°′ east longitude. The island is 141.230NaN0 north of the country's capital, Malé.[2] The total area of Naifaru is 55.5ha, including the part of the island expanded in 2004 by reclaiming the surrounding lagoon of the island.
In 1931, Naifaru had a population of around 1800; in 1979 it has increased to 2810.
As of the 2006 census, Naifaru had population of 3687, contributing 1.23% of total population of the country. Compared to the 2000 census, Naifaru had a slightly negative population growth (-0.09%). This negative change is due to emigration to the Capital. As of 31 December 2008, Naifaru had a registered population of 4720. As of 31 May 2013 it has increased to 5082. The population as of August 2017 stands at 5408.
In the latest census conducted in 2014, Naifaru recorded a residing population of 4141 people. this includes 3844 Maldivians and 297 foreigners.
Naifaru is the 6th most populous town in the Maldives after Malé, Addu City, Fuvahmulah, Kulhudhuffushi, and Thinadhoo.
Secretariat of the Naifaru Council
Fishing has been the major income generator for the islanders since the beginning. The location of the first tuna canning factory in the Maldives was selected to be the nearby island of Felivaru due to the high number of catch by Naifarians. Fishing is still a major income generator for the island, although working in resort islands has gained popularity among the youth in the last few years.
Naifaru has more than 120 shops and markets that serve the island population as well the atoll population. These include hardware stores, food and consumer product stores, electronic shops, building materials, fabric stores, boutiques and automobile showrooms.
There are two guest houses in operation in Naifaru, and more are being built.
There are two passenger boats operating between Naifaru and the capital Male; it takes about nine hours on the sea in order to reach the destination. A passenger boat from Dhaalu atoll travels between Naifaru and Male.
Lhaviyani Atoll Hospital (LHAH) is the only Medical facility in Naifaru. It is the state level Hospital of Faadhippolhu and so people from Naifaru, people from neighbor islands, and people from neighboring atolls visit it for medical procedures.
Madhrasathul Ifthithaah is the second oldest education institute in the country. It was inaugurated in the year 1933 by the Naifaru born renown scholar and Supreme Judge Abdullah Fahmi Didi (Jalaluddin). It teaches students from LKG, UKG, Grade 1 up to grade 12. Students of grade 10 do the Cambridge O' levels and after finishing grade 12 they sit in London Ed Excel Advance Level examinations. Students from Madhrasathul Ifthithaah have scored good grades in the National Top Ten in the O' Levels and A Levels. The school population is more than 1000.
Until 2023, Naifaru had three preschools; Nooraanee Preschool (NPS), Roashanee Preschool (RPS) and Zoom Tuition. NPS and RPS were managed by the local council while Zoom tuition was a private school. NPS and RPS are the oldest preschools in the Maldives. Nooraanee Preschool was opened in 1947.In 2017 the name of Roashanee Preschool changed to Iqra International Preschool and the school is now very different.