Maloelap Atoll
The Maloelap Atoll (Marshallese: M̧aļoeļap, [mˠɑlˠɔːɛlˠɑpʲ]) (also spelled Maleolap) is a coral atoll of 71 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area is only 9.8 square kilometers (3.8 sq mi), but that encloses a lagoon of 972 square kilometers (375 sq mi). It is located 18 kilometers (11 mi) north of the atoll of Aur. The population of the atoll was 395 at the 2021 census.
NASA picture of Maloelap Atoll | |
Maloelap Atoll | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Pacific |
| Coordinates | 08°45′00″N 171°04′00″E |
| Archipelago | Ratak |
| Total islands | 71 |
| Area | 9.8 km2 (3.8 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 395 (2021) |
| Ethnic groups | Marshallese |
The largest of the islands that make up the atoll are Taroa (the administrative center of the atoll), in the northeast, and Kaben in the northwest. Only three of the other islands in the atoll are inhabited: Airuk, Wolot and Jang. The island is served by Air Marshall Islands via Maloelap Airport.