Utirik Atoll
Encyclopedia
Utirik Atoll or Utrik Atoll (Marshallese
: , wu) is a coral atoll of 10 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain
of the Marshall Islands
. Its total land area is only 0.94 square miles (2.4 km²), but it encloses a lagoon with an area of 22.29 square miles (57.7 km²). It is located approximately 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) east of Ujae Atoll
.
The population of Utirik Atoll is 409; it is one of the northernmost Marshall Islands with permanent habitation.
The larger islets are:
of the Empire of Japan
. Following the end of World War II, Utirik came under the control of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
. Utirik was one of four atolls affected by nuclear fallout
from Castle Bravo
, the largest of the many nuclear weapon tests conducted at Bikini Atoll
immediately following World War II. Research is still being done to ascertain the radiation levels, though many scientists agree that there is no harmful effect from the radiation still present. The island has been part of the independent Republic of the Marshall Islands since 1986.
Marshallese language
The Marshallese language is a Malayo-Polynesian language of the Marshall Islands, and the principal language of the country...
: , wu) is a coral atoll of 10 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain
Ratak Chain
The Ratak Chain is a chain of islands within the island nation of the Marshall Islands. Ratak means "sunrise". It lies just to the east of the country's other main island chain, the Ralik 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...
. Its total land area is only 0.94 square miles (2.4 km²), but it encloses a lagoon with an area of 22.29 square miles (57.7 km²). It is located approximately 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) east of Ujae Atoll
Ujae Atoll
Ujae Atoll is a coral atoll of 15 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 of...
.
The population of Utirik Atoll is 409; it is one of the northernmost Marshall Islands with permanent habitation.
The larger islets are:
- Utirik
- Aon
- Bikrak
- Pike
- Āllok
- Nalap
History
Utirik 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 MandateSouth 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, Utirik 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:...
. Utirik was one of four atolls affected by nuclear fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
from Castle Bravo
Castle Bravo
Castle Bravo was the code name given to the first U.S. test of a dry fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb device, detonated on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, as the first test of Operation Castle. Castle Bravo was the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the United States ,...
, the largest of the many nuclear weapon tests conducted at 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....
immediately following World War II. Research is still being done to ascertain the radiation levels, though many scientists agree that there is no harmful effect from the radiation still present. The island has been part of the independent Republic of the Marshall Islands since 1986.
See also
- Also contaminated by Castle Bravo test: Rongelap AtollRongelap AtollRongelap Atoll or Namorik Atoll is a coral atoll of 61 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...
, Ailinginae AtollAilinginae AtollAilinginae Atoll is a coral atoll of 25 islands in the Pacific Ocean, on the northern end of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon of . It is located approximately west of Rongelap Atoll. The landscape is low-lying with only the top few...
, Rongerik AtollRongerik AtollRongerik Atoll or Rongdrik Atoll is a coral atoll of 17 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and is located in the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands, approximately east of Bikini Atoll. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon of .-History:Rongerik Atoll was claimed by the Empire of...