The island is 494.2 km (307 mi; 267 nmi) south of the country's capital, Malé. The Fuvahmulah city is about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) by 1.2 km (0.75 mi) with a submerged reef (Rashikedefaro) extending for about 3 km (1.9 mi) in a southeasterly direction. The island is the third largest in the Maldives. In the past, Fuvahmulah was a small coral atoll whose southern end was open at a spot called Diyarehifaando and the inside of the island was a saltwater lagoon forming a natural harbor. There is a spot on the southern end known as Kudhuheraival (forest of a small islet), which indicates there was a small separate islet over there in ancient times.