Rasgetheemu (Raa Atoll)

Inhabited island in Maldives

5°48′29″N 73°0′12″E / 5.80806°N 73.00333°E / 5.80806; 73.00333CountryMaldivesAdministrative atollRaa AtollDistance to Malé189.06 km (117.48 mi)Government

• CouncilRasgetheemu CouncilDimensions

• Length0.875 km (0.544 mi) • Width0.425 km (0.264 mi)Population

(2014)^[1]

• Total958Time zoneUTC+05:00 (MST)

Rasgetheemu (Dhivehi: ރަސްގެތީމު) is an inhabited island located in Maalhosmadhulu Uthuruburi, known administratively as Raa Atoll.

History

Maldivian legend says that a Sinhalese prince got stranded with his bride - the daughter of the Sri Lankan King in Rasgetheemu, the original 'King's Island'.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

The name comes from Ras + ge + theemu. The word Ras means rule or monarchy, ge literally means house, and theemu meaning island. The word Theemu came from Tamil word Theevu also meaning island. It probably came from the tamil speakers of chola empire which used to rule northern atolls of Maldives. Theemu appears in the names of other islands, including Agolhitheemu, Utheemu.) Historians believe that Rasgetheem means "the King’s Town" or "King’s Island".^{[citation needed]}

Geography

The island lies of the eastern fringe of Raa Atoll, and the island is 189.06 km (117 mi; 102 nmi) north of the country's capital, Malé.^[2]

Demography

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
2006	504	—
2014	487	−3.4%
2006-2014: Census populations Source: ^[3]

References

^ "Table PP5: Resident Population by sex, nationality and locality (administrative islands), 2014" (PDF). Population and Households Census 2014. National Bureau of Statistics. p. 34. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". Boulter.com. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
^ "Table 3.3: Total Maldivian Population by Islands" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 11 August 2018.