Seenu Atoll – Addu and the wartime base on Gan
Addu Atoll, today's Seenu Atoll, is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. Its name is believed to come from the local words for "eight islands", after the eight traditionally inhabited islands. During the Second World War the Royal Navy established a secret base here, HMS Haitan, making use of the deep, sheltered lagoon, with fuel tanks, an airstrip and a flying-boat base on Gan. In 1957 it became RAF Gan, which closed in 1976; the airstrip is now Gan International Airport.
Today the inhabited islands form Addu City, one of the four cities of the Maldives, 540 km south of Malé. Do you have stories or photos from Addu? Share them with our community!