Naifaru () is an island in the Maldives north of the capital, Malé. It is the capital and most populous island of Lhaviyani Atoll.
History
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:
- lack of evidence of Naifaru being a big town historically, like the abandoned cemeteries, foundations and rocky mounds of the buried stupas from the Buddhist era like of which we find in some other islands of the atoll like Maafilaafushi, Dhiffushimaidhoo. And lack of any record which mention Naifaru being a populated place historically.
- Written record of a political prisoner named Hussain Velaanaa Thakurufaanu (Hussain Shah Bandhar) being banished to Naifaru in 1116 AH (1704–1705 CE). Since political prisoners are banished to islands with small populations, Ali Hussain concludes it must not have been very long since Naifaru was inhabited.
- Written record of the endowment of Raafushi Island to Naifaru Kuda Miskiy (small mosque) in 1197 AH (1783 CE). Ali Hussain estimates it would take about two centuries for an island to populate enough to have an endowment be registered to its mosque.
- Observed dates from local cemetery tombstones which goes back to 12th century AH (17th century CE)
- A huge tombstone which was erected to the west of Hukuru Miskiy (Friday Mosque); according to local oral tradition it belonged to a martyr of the Battle of Dhonakulhi which took place in 1167 AH (1753 CE)
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.
Geography
Naifaru is at 5.4444°′ north latitude and 73.3657°′ east longitude. The island is north of the country's capital, Malé. The total area of Naifaru is , including the part of the island expanded in 2004 by reclaiming the surrounding lagoon of the island.
Climate
Naifaru has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen: Am).
Demography
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, It was inaugurated in the year 1933 by the Naifaru born scholar and 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 Edexcel A-level examinations.
Preschool
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.