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Ebeye Island

Coordinates: 8°46′49″N 167°44′14″E / 8.78028°N 167.73722°E / 8.78028; 167.73722
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Ebeye
Native name:
Epjā
Ebeye is located in Marshall Islands
Ebeye
Ebeye
Geography
LocationKwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands
Coordinates8°46′49″N 167°44′14″E / 8.78028°N 167.73722°E / 8.78028; 167.73722
Adjacent toNorthern Pacific Ocean
Area0.36 km2 (0.14 sq mi)
Administration
Demographics
Population~10 thousand (2021)
Ethnic groupsMarshalese

Ebeye (/ˈiːbaɪ/ EE-by; Marshallese: Epjā, or Ebeje in older orthography, [ɛbʲ(ɛ)zʲæ];[1] locally, Ibae, [ibˠɑːɛ], after the English pronunciation[2])[3][4][5][6] is the populous island of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, and the second most populated in the Marshall Islands. It is a center for Marshallese culture in the Ralik Chain of the archipelago. Settled on 80 acres (32 hectares) of land, it has a population of more than 15,000.[7] Over 50% of the population is estimated to be under the age of 18.

Ebeye is home to the RMI Emergency Operations Center and other facilities, including schools, health facilities, stores, and hotel, along with residential structures. It has some docks but no airstrip, but is connected by causeway to Loi, Shell, and Gugeegue islands to the north.

History[edit]

Ebeye was an island of the Marshalese people, it was annexed in 1885 by the German Empire. In 1914 it became a mandate of the Empire of Japan. In 1944 it was captured by the United States during WW2, after Japan attacked the USA. After WW2, it was part of U.N. protectorate administered by the USA until 1979. The Marshall Islands maintains a compact of free association with United States to the present day. Ebeye is popular location for those employed at the military base to the south, which coordinates many logistical and aid programs for the island. Ebeye was connected by causeway in 1992 to the islands to North of it, so is physically now connected to Loi, Shell and Gugeegue islands.

Aid projects have increased programs for schools, medical, water, and sewage though concerns of about over-topping waves has lead to a seawall project in the 2020s.

Etymology[edit]

When Christian missionaries first arrived in the Marshall Islands, they introduced Latin script writing and orthographized the Marshallese language. Originally, Ebeye was written Ebeje by Europeans (Epjā in modern orthography, pronounced [ɛbʲ(ɛ)zʲæ]), which (according to elders of the atoll) means "making something out of nothing." However, the colonial German administration mispronounced the J as if it were German language [j], and foreign observers recorded the resulting pronunciation as Ebeye. During the Japanese period, though, the island's pronunciation in katakana, Ebize (エビゼ) [ebʲize], re-approximated Marshallese. After World War II, the Americans took possession of the regional mandate from Japan and mispronounced the island's name as /ˈiːbaɪ/ EE-by from its spelling. Because most of the modern Marshallese residents of Ebeye don't have family roots on the island, the American pronunciation has stuck, and is the usual name for Ebeye among the island's current population. This pronunciation has even been adapted to Marshallese orthography, so that there are now two synonymous Marshallese names for the island – officially and historically Epjā, and locally Ibae.

It was also called Burton Island by the USA, in what was called the Carillon atoll.

World War II[edit]

Ebeye island being shelled on 30 January 1944, prior to the Battle of Kwajalein later that year
Ebeye Island seaplane base, 1945

The Imperial Japanese Navy constructed a seaplane base on Ebeye in the early 1940s. Following the Battle of Kwajalein from 31 January to 3 February 1944, Ebeye was occupied by US forces. On 7 March the 107th Naval Construction Battalion was sent to Ebeye to redevelop the seaplane base. The Seabees repaired the existing 1,600-by-30-foot (487.7 by 9.1 m) pier, adding a 50-by-240-foot (15 by 73 m) ell extension, and also repaired a 250-foot (76 m) Japanese H-shaped pier. The Seabees assembled a pontoon wharf and pontoon barges for transporting damaged carrier aircraft to repair units ashore. Further installations on Ebeye consisted of housing in floored tents and Quonset huts, a 150-bed dispensary, four magazines, 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) of covered storage, and a 4,000-US-barrel (480,000 L; 130,000 US gal; 100,000 imp gal) aviation-gasoline tank farm.[8]

Emigration from the Mid-Atoll Corridor[edit]

Before the early 1950s, a large number of present-day residents of Ebeye lived on small islands throughout Kwajalein Atoll. When Kwajalein island started to be used as a support base for the nuclear tests conducted at Bikini Atoll and Enewetak Atoll, Marshallese residents of Kwajalein were relocated by U.S. authorities to a small, planned community constructed on Ebeye, which was largely unpopulated and had served as a Japanese seaplane base before the Pacific War.[citation needed]

In 1950, the US Navy constructed a LORAN station on Ebeye. It was disestablished in 1977.[9]

With the advent of the Nike-Zeus anti-ballistic missile testing program of the 1960s, the U.S. military decided for safety and security reasons to evacuate slightly more than 100 residents of the central part of the atoll to create a zone where unarmed guided missiles could be targeted from the continental United States.

Subsequent population growth by migration from outlying rural atolls and islands throughout the Marshalls created a housing shortage and problems with resources throughout the following decades. Some of the original Ebeye inhabitants with land rights did not feel adequately compensated [clarification needed] for the tenants who came to live on their land even though their paramount chief had worked with the Trust Territory to move them there.

21st century[edit]

Street view of Ebeye, 2012

In 2010, 40,000 gallons of water had to be shipped to Ebeye when its water plant failed.[10]

A new Emergency Operations Center for the RMI was opened in 2024 on Ebeye. The new 2-story building houses offices to coordinate disaster relief through out the RMI.[11]

In early 2024, the Marshal Islands were experiencing three months of drought, and in response international aid organization mobilized to bring some relief, such as extra water storage tanks.[12]

In 2024, a plan was announced to build a protective seawall at Ebeye, to reduce erosion and help prevent inundation from waves that over top the island.[13][14] The Marshall Islands periodically have issues with overtopping waves, which can damage infrastructure, cause injuries, and render ground water undrinkable.[15]

There is also a plan in the late 2010s and 2020s to modernize waste management. Currently there is a large dump at the north end of Ebeye.[16]

Geography[edit]

Kwajalein atoll, Ebeye is a narrow atoll in the South East

Ebeye is the most populous island of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, as well as the center for Marshallese culture in the Ralik Chain of the archipelago. It comprises 80 acres (32 ha).

Kwajalein is one of the largest coral atolls in the world, consisting of 97 main islands, of which Ebeye is one. However, they are only about 2 meters/yards or 6 feet above sea level on average.[17]

Ebeye is about half way between Australia and the Hawaiian islands.[18]

A road goes north to Loi, Shell, and Gugeegue atolls on causeways; it stops at Nene. Then there is Bigej channel and to the north is Bigej Island. The causeway connecting Ebeye to South and North Loi, Little Shell, Big Shell, and Gugeegue islands was completed in 1992.[19] To the south is the main Kwajalein atoll island which has the airport and military base.

Climate[edit]

Main article: Kwajalein Atoll § Climate

Demographics[edit]

Ebeye water utility building. Keeping adequate water supply has been difficult at time on the atoll due to droughts

Ebeye has a population of more than 15,000 (2011 est).[20] In 2008, the population was 12,000.[21] In 1968, the population was 3,000.[22]

9,789 people lived on the Kwajalein including Ebeye in the 2021 census,[23]

This is the second most populous island of the Marshal Islands, with Majuro being larger at about 25 thousand, as of the 2020s. These are much greater than the next populated islands at this time including Arno (~2 thousand), Jabor (~1200), and Wotje (~900).[24]

Ebeye is famed for being one of the most densely populated small islands on Earth. It is the sixth most densely populated island in the world as of the early 21st century.[20]

Refuge from nuclear fallout[edit]

Some of the residents of Ebeye are refugees or descendants of refugees from the effects of the 15-megaton Castle Bravo nuclear test at Bikini Atoll on 1 March 1954. The detonation unexpectedly rained nuclear fallout and two inches (50 mm) of radioactive snow on nearby Rongelap Atoll, which had not been evacuated as had Bikini. The 1954 American authorities then evacuated Rongelap and were returned in 1957 with extensive medical surveillance. In 1985, Greenpeace evacuated the inhabitants of Rongelap to Mejato (island in Kwajalein atoll). Ebeye was the final destination for many of them.[25]

Health[edit]

Infant mortality on Ebeye is 3.0% as of 2006.[21] There have been recurrent outbreaks of cholera, dengue fever, and tuberculosis. In 1963 there was a polio outbreak, and in 1978 a measles outbreak. In 2009, the Ebeye Community Health Center was awarded a grant as part of the United States Stimulus for monitoring influenza (e.g. H1N1).[26]

Potable water[edit]

Potable water for the population comes from a water purification system, and a rain-water catchment. In an emergency water has been shipped from the nearby military base to the south.[27] In the late 2010s the USA and Australia cooperated on a plan to increase the amount of potable water, increase its purity, and also improve the sewage system.[28]

Economy[edit]

Navy sailor helps an Ebeye student with a math problem at school

The Marshall Islands subsists primarily upon foreign aid and lease payments from the United States for the military use of Kwajalein Atoll. The United States provides $1.5 billion in aid under the Compact of Free Association, spread out over the 20 years of the agreement, which expires in 2023. It was renewed for another 20 years after that by the RMI. Apart from this, handicrafts are produced and there is a small fishery. Some larger projects are funded through international aid organizations such as Red Cross or the U.N..

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Marshallese-English Dictionary - Place Name Index". trussel2.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Marshallese-English Dictionary". trussel2.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2012-12-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Page Not Found" (PDF). cuny.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2016. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  5. ^ Empire's Footprint: Expulsion and the United States Military Base on Diego ... - Google Books. ISBN 9780542851001. Retrieved 26 April 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Vine, David (3 January 2011). Island of Shame. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1400838509. Retrieved 26 April 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Olson, Wyatt. "Under the radar: Life is low-tech at Army missile defense base in the Pacific". Stripes.com. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  8. ^ Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 324.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. ^ "Loran Station Kwajalein". www.loran-history.info. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Army barges water to Marshallese in Kwajalein". www.army.mil. 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  11. ^ "Handover of Emergency Operations Center in Ebeye: A Milestone in Disaster Preparedness and Response". UNDP. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  12. ^ "'No rain for three months in some of the Marshall Islands' – Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre". www.climatecentre.org. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  13. ^ Hrvacevic, Zlatan (2024-05-21). "Hall Contracting wins coastal protection project in RMI". Dredging Today. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  14. ^ Maritime, Baird (2024-05-27). "Marshall Islands' Ebeye atoll to benefit from new coastal protection scheme". Baird Maritime. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  15. ^ Variety, Giff Johnson-For (2024-01-22). "Freak waves cause damage at Army base, shut airports in remote islands". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  16. ^ adbheadhoncho (2020-12-08). "Ebeye Solid Waste Management Project". www.adb.org. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  17. ^ "Ebeye, Marshall Islands | Guam-Micronesia Mission". www.gmmsda.org. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  18. ^ Hrvacevic, Zlatan (2024-05-21). "Hall Contracting wins coastal protection project in RMI". Dredging Today. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  19. ^ https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Hourglass/2022/10-01-22Hourglass.pdf
  20. ^ a b "Top ten most crowded islands in the world - Gadling". Gadling. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  21. ^ a b "Marshall Islands". Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  22. ^ "Where is Kwajalein". Global Associates Welcomes YOU to Kwajalein Marshall Islands. Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. 1968. p. 11.
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "Marshall Islands Population 2024 (Live)". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  25. ^ Woodward, Colin (7 December 1999). "Generations of Fallout From Nuclear Tests". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  26. ^ H8BCS11973, DHHS. "Grants - AWARD SUMMARY". Recovery.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "Army barges water to Marshallese in Kwajalein". www.army.mil. 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  28. ^ "Water Everywhere – And Soon it Will Be Safe to Drink on Ebeye | Asian Development Blog". blogs.adb.org. Retrieved 2024-06-19.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ebeye.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ebeye.
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