Ailinginae Atoll
Ailinginae Atoll (Marshallese: Aelōn̄in Ae, [ɑelʲɤŋinʲɑːɛ]) is an uninhabited (due to Castle Bravo nuclear testing) 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 2.8 square kilometers (1.1 sq mi), but it encloses a lagoon of 105.96 square kilometers (40.91 sq mi). It is located approximately 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) west of Rongelap Atoll. The landscape is low-lying with only the top 3 meters (9.8 ft) above sea level. The two entrances into the lagoon are 'Mogiri Pass' and 'Eniibukku Pass'. These are 1.45 and 0.48 kilometers (0.9 and 0.3 mi) wide respectively.
NASA photo of Ailinginae Atoll | |
Map of Ailingnae Atoll | |
Ailinginae Atoll Location in the Marshall Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Pacific |
| Coordinates | 11°10′N 166°20′E |
| Archipelago | Ralik |
| Total islands | 25 |
| Area | 2.8 km2 (1.1 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
Marshall Islands | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Ethnic groups | Marshallese (former) |
The average temperature of these islands is about 27 °C (81 °F) during daytime and slightly warmer during night-time due to cold weather associated with rain showers during daytime. The rainy season is from September through November. The island is covered with 29 species of plants scrub, grasses and some stands of Pisonia grandis trees.