Kili Island
Encyclopedia
Kili Island or Kili Atoll (Marshallese
: , k) is a 0.93 square kilometre (0.359075007491058 sq mi) coral atoll located in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain
of the Marshall Islands
. It is approximately 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) southwest of Jaluit
. The island, which has no central lagoon or reef
protection, is one of the smallest islands in the Marshall Islands.
Kili cannot be reached by ship four months out of the year because of rough seas. However, there is a grass airstrip on the island, Kili Airport
, which is served by Air Marshall Islands
when its aircraft are operational. The main agricultural product of the island is copra
. Residents are supported through trust agreements between the United States and the Marshall Islands yielding about $15 per person per year.
Kili Atoll was claimed by the Empire of Germany along with the rest of the Marshall Islands in 1884. After World War I, the island came under the South Pacific Mandate
of the Empire of Japan
. Following the end of World War II, it came under the control of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
. Kili was uninhabited until November 2, 1948, at which point, the United States government relocated the Bikini Atoll
's indigenous population of 200 while Bikini was used for nuclear tests. The population today is approximately 600 people, composed primarily of descendants of refugees of Bikini.
Island produce consists of (in descending order of quantity) coconuts
, limes
, breadfruit
, squash, bananas, papayas, and sugar cane. Fishing in the ocean around the island is difficult due to the lack of protection by a lagoon. The island also suffers from overpopulation, forcing residents to rely on imports in addition to local resources. Each family on the island receives 2-3 shipments a year consisting of 1-2 boxes of frozen chicken, 2-4 50-lb bags of flour, and 2-4 bags of rice; this shipment is provided by the Bikinian government in conjunction with the U.S. government. Imports are overseen by the Bikini Public Works Department, which also maintains houses and runs the power plant on the island. There is currently a government effort to increase farming on the island, but the coral reef soil is poor. However, there is a small farm that produces melons and some vegetables. There are several small stores operated out of homes that provide nonperishable food items such as salt, tabasco, candy, and canned items.
Families on Kili live in cinderblock houses with air-conditioning and electricity. Most houses on Kili have kitchens, but many prefer to cook outdoors in cook-huts over an open flame.
Kili has two Christian churches: the Assembly of God and Protestant church.
There is an elementary school on Kili for students from Kindergarten to eighth grade. There is a class for each age group, in addition to one class for students with special needs. Classes typically range in size from 6 to 18 students. Some of the teachers are native to Kili, some come from neighboring islands. In addition, the Dartmouth Volunteer Teaching Program has placed 2-4 American volunteer teachers at the school every year since 2002. The American volunteers stay and teach for one or more years. Toward the end of their eighth grade year, students must pass a standardized test to gain admission to public high school in Jaluit or Majuro
.
Marshallese language
The Marshallese language is a Malayo-Polynesian language of the Marshall Islands, and the principal language of the country...
: , k) is a 0.93 square kilometre (0.359075007491058 sq mi) coral atoll located in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain
Ralik Chain
The Ralik Chain is a chain of islands within the island nation of the Marshall Islands. Ralik means "sunset". It lies just to the west of the country's other island chain, the Ratak Chain...
of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. It is approximately 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) southwest of Jaluit
Jaluit Atoll
Jaluit Atoll is a large coral atoll of 91 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon with an area of . Most of the land area is on largest islet of Jaluit . Jaluit is located...
. The island, which has no central lagoon or reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
protection, is one of the smallest islands in the Marshall Islands.
Kili cannot be reached by ship four months out of the year because of rough seas. However, there is a grass airstrip on the island, Kili Airport
Kili Airport
Kili Airport is a public use airstrip on Kili Island, Marshall Islands. This airstrip is assigned the location identifier Q51 by the FAA and KIO by the IATA.- Facilities :...
, which is served by Air Marshall Islands
Air Marshall Islands
Air Marshall Islands is an airline based in Majuro, in the Marshall Islands. It is the flag carrier of the Marshall Islands, operating inter-island services in the South Pacific. Its main base is Marshall Islands International Airport, Majuro.- History :...
when its aircraft are operational. The main agricultural product of the island is copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
. Residents are supported through trust agreements between the United States and the Marshall Islands yielding about $15 per person per year.
Kili Atoll was claimed by the Empire of Germany along with the rest of the Marshall Islands in 1884. After World War I, the island came under the South Pacific Mandate
South Pacific Mandate
The was the Japanese League of Nations mandate consisting of several groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean which came under the administration of Japan after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.-Early history:Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, after the start of World...
of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. Following the end of World War II, it came under the control of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1986.-History:...
. Kili was uninhabited until November 2, 1948, at which point, the United States government relocated the Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
's indigenous population of 200 while Bikini was used for nuclear tests. The population today is approximately 600 people, composed primarily of descendants of refugees of Bikini.
Island produce consists of (in descending order of quantity) coconuts
COcOnuts
COcOnuts is the second album released by Jane, comprising Animal Collective member Panda Bear, and Scott Mou. It was originally self-released on CD-R's, but later became the first album released by Psych-o-path Records in 2005. The Psych-o-path version was remastered by Rusty Santos and Edik Kleyner....
, limes
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
, breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
, squash, bananas, papayas, and sugar cane. Fishing in the ocean around the island is difficult due to the lack of protection by a lagoon. The island also suffers from overpopulation, forcing residents to rely on imports in addition to local resources. Each family on the island receives 2-3 shipments a year consisting of 1-2 boxes of frozen chicken, 2-4 50-lb bags of flour, and 2-4 bags of rice; this shipment is provided by the Bikinian government in conjunction with the U.S. government. Imports are overseen by the Bikini Public Works Department, which also maintains houses and runs the power plant on the island. There is currently a government effort to increase farming on the island, but the coral reef soil is poor. However, there is a small farm that produces melons and some vegetables. There are several small stores operated out of homes that provide nonperishable food items such as salt, tabasco, candy, and canned items.
Families on Kili live in cinderblock houses with air-conditioning and electricity. Most houses on Kili have kitchens, but many prefer to cook outdoors in cook-huts over an open flame.
Kili has two Christian churches: the Assembly of God and Protestant church.
There is an elementary school on Kili for students from Kindergarten to eighth grade. There is a class for each age group, in addition to one class for students with special needs. Classes typically range in size from 6 to 18 students. Some of the teachers are native to Kili, some come from neighboring islands. In addition, the Dartmouth Volunteer Teaching Program has placed 2-4 American volunteer teachers at the school every year since 2002. The American volunteers stay and teach for one or more years. Toward the end of their eighth grade year, students must pass a standardized test to gain admission to public high school in Jaluit or Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
.