Kili Island (also known as Kili Atoll) is a 0.93 square kilometer island located in the Pacific Ocean at 5°38′46″N 169°07′42″E / 5.64611°N 169.12833°ECoordinates: 5°38′46″N 169°07′42″E / 5.64611°N 169.12833°E. It is a member of the Marshall Islands and is located in the Ralik Chain. The island is one of the smallest islands to form the Marshall Islands. It is a low coral formation of 0.93 km². It is situated southwest of Jaluit.
Kili was uninhabited until November 2, 1948 at which point, the United States Government relocated the Bikini Atoll's indigenous population there while Bikini was used for nuclear tests. The population today is approximately 600 people, composed primarily of descendants of refugees of Bikini.
Kili has no lagoon or reef protection. The island 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. Air Marshall Islands sends two flights per week to Kili when the planes are operational. The main agricultural product is copra. Residents are supported through trust agreements between the United States and the Marshall Islands yielding about $15 per person per year.
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 more difficult than it would be with the protection of a lagoon. The island is also overpopulated because it did not grow organically, but was relocated from the larger atoll of Bikini. Thus the local population relies 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.[1] The American volunteers stay and teach for one or more years. Toward the end of their eight grade year, students must pass a standardized test to gain admission to public high school in Jaluit or Majuro.
External links
References
- ^ "The Educational Priorities of the People of Bikini". Bikini Atoll. http://www.bikiniatoll.com/Education.html. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
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