Marshall Islands
List of described attractions
Marshall Islands consist of 24 inhabited atolls and 10 uninhabited atolls and isolated islands:
| Ailinginae Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Ailinglaplap Atoll | ||
| Ailuk Atoll | ||
| Arno Atoll | ||
| Aur Atoll | ||
| Bikar Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Bikini Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Bokak Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Ebon Atoll | ||
| Enewetak Atoll | ||
| Erikub Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Jabat Island | ||
| Jaluit Atoll | ||
| Jemo Island (uninhabited) | ||
| Kili Island | ||
| Kwajalein Atoll | ||
| Lae Atoll | ||
| Lib Island | ||
| Likiep Atoll | ||
| Majuro Atoll | ||
| Maloelap Atoll | ||
| Mejit Island | ||
| Mili Atoll | ||
| Nadikdik Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Namdrik Atoll | ||
| Namu Atoll | ||
| Rongelap Atoll | ||
| Rongerik Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Toke Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Ujae Atoll | ||
| Ujelang Atoll (uninhabited) | ||
| Utirik Atoll | ||
| Wotho Atoll | ||
| Wotje Atoll | ||
Marshall Islands - map
Wikipedia article about Marshall Islands
Main attractions
Marshall Islands is a large group of corall atolls and scattered islands.
These remote Pacific islands have experienced terrible nuclear bombardments which have evaporated some islands and left terrible scars in these corall atolls. And, nevertheless, the nature of many islands is pristine and peculiar.
Notable landmarks
- Bikini Lagoon - Bikini Atoll. Unusual, eerie place. This lagoon was used as a ship graveyard after the World War II and then - as a test location for many tests of nuclear bombs. Now the many sunken ships in the lagoon are radioactive but the undisturbed lagoon is full with life and very interesting for divers.
- Bokak Atoll lagoon - Bokak Atoll (Taongi Atoll). The lagoon of this atoll is per 0.9 m higher than the surrounding sea. The wind brings in a new seawater and the water pours out of the lagoon through a narrow channel. Unusual feature of this remote, pristine atoll is a 10 - 15 cm high, massive rim formed by algae and enclosing the shores of the coral patches in the lagoon.
- Bravo crater - Bikini Atoll. The 2 km wide and 75 m deep crater was created by the blast of Castle Bravo hydrogen bomb in 1954. This 15 MT blast created significant radioactive contamination. In this same place more nuclear tests have taken place.
-
Ivy Mike test site - northern part of Enewetak Atoll. A site where took place the first successful test of hydrogen bomb in 1952. This giant blast evaporated Elugelam Island, creating a crater with 1.9 km diameter. Another nuclear bomb was detonated in this crater in 1956.
The covered Runit blast crater, Enewetak Atoll.
US Defense Special Weapons Agency, Wikimedia Commons / public domain - Laura settlement and graveyard in Majuro islet, Majuro Atoll is one of the few excavated ancient settlements in Marshall Islands. The archaeological heritage in Marshall Islands is rather scarce, although the islands are inhabited for some 2,000 years.
- Likiep Atoll. In this atoll is located the highest point in Marshall Islands, located 11 m above the sea level. It is amazing that a country with such a high number of islands is devoid of any hills.
- Runit blast crater - Enewetak Atoll, Runit Island. A blast crater formed during the nuclear tests, filled with the contaminated radioactive soil from the island and covered with concrete, forming a 7.6 m tall spherical mound.
2 November 2011 Gatis Pāvils