Ujae Atoll

Ujae Atoll (Marshallese: Wūjae or Ujae, [wɯzʲɑːɛ][1]) 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 1.86 square kilometers (0.72 sq mi), but it encloses a lagoon of 185.94 square kilometers (71.79 sq mi). It is located about 122 kilometers (76 mi) west of Kwajalein Atoll.

Ujae Atoll
NASA picture of Ujae Atoll
Ujae Atoll is located in Marshall Islands
Ujae Atoll
Ujae Atoll
Geography
LocationNorth Pacific Ocean
Coordinates09°03′00″N 165°39′00″E
ArchipelagoRalik
Total islands14
Area1.86 km2 (0.72 sq mi)
Highest elevation3 m (10 ft)
Administration
Demographics
Population310 (2021)
Ethnic groupsMarshallese
Flag of Ujae Atoll

History

In folklore, the Marshallese people have long considered the island to be home to timon (demons).[2]

Its first recorded sighting was by the Spanish expedition of Álvaro de Saavedra on 21 September 1529.[3] Another sighting was reported by the Spanish expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos in January 1543.[4]

In 1885, the German Empire claimed Ujae Atoll along with the rest of the Marshall Islands.[5] After World War I, the island came under the South Seas Mandate of the Empire of Japan. The island became part of the vast US Naval Base Marshall Islands. 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 until the independence of the Marshall Islands in 1986.

The population of Ujae Atoll was 310 at the 2021 census.[6]

Education

Marshall Islands Public School System operates Ujae Elementary School.[7] Kwajalein Atoll High School on Kwajalein serves the community.[8]

References
  1. Marshallese-English Dictionary - Place Name Index
  2. Kelin, Daniel A. II (2003), Marshall Islands Legends and Stories, Honolulu: Bess Press Publishers
  3. Coello, Francisco "Conflicto hispano-alemán" Boletín de Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid, t.XIX. 2º semestre 1885, Madrid, pp.235, 267, 268
  4. Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Oxford, 1960, p.32.
  5. Churchill, William (1920). "Germany's Lost Pacific Empire". Geographical Review. 10 (2): 84. JSTOR 207706.
  6. "Republic of the Marshall Islands 2021 Census Report, Volume 1: Basic Tables and Administrative Report" (PDF). Pacific Community (SPC): Statistics for Development Division. Pacific Community. May 30, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  7. "Public Schools ." Marshall Islands Public School System. Retrieved on February 21, 2018.
  8. "Annual Report 2011-2012." Ministry of Education (Marshall Islands). Retrieved on February 22, 2018. p. 54 (PDF p. 55/118). "Kwajalein Atoll High School enrolls students from Kwajalein and the Kabinmeto zone including schools in Ujae, Lae, and Wotto."


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