Ailinglaplap Atoll
Ailinglaplap or Ailinglapalap (Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 56 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain in the Marshall Islands. It is located northwest of Jaluit Atoll. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon of . The economy of the atoll is dominated by coconut plantations. The population of the atoll was 1,729 in 2011. Jabat Island is located off the coast of Ailinglaplap Atoll. The former president of the Marshall Islands, Kessai Note, was born on Jeh Island, Ailinglaplap Atoll. "Ailinglaplap" translates as "greatest atoll" (' (atoll ) + ' (superlative suffix)), because the greatest legends of the Marshallese people were created there. The four major population centers on Ailinglaplap Atoll are the settlements of Wotja, at the westernmost end of the atoll, Jih in the northeast, and Airek and Bigatjelang in the south. History. Captain Thomas Dennet of the British vessel "Britannia" sighted the atoll in 1797 on route from Australia to China and named it Lambert Island. The British merchant vessel "Rolla" sighted several islands in the Ratak and Ralik Chains. On 6 November 1803 she sighted islands at , which was possibly Ailinglaplap Atoll. The next day  six canoes of friendly natives came off. "Rolla" had transported convicts from Britain to New South Wales and was on her way to Canton to find a cargo to take back to Britain. In 1884, the Empire of Germany claimed Ailinglaplap Atoll along with the rest of the Marshall Islands. A number of European trading stations were established on the islands to Ailingkaplap as part of the copra trade. After World War I, the island came under the South Seas Mandate of the Empire of Japan. 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. There are currently 4 Iroijlaplap (or paramount chief) of Ailinglaplap. Infrastructure. There are 3 airstrips on the atoll, which are served by Air Marshall Islands when its aircraft are operational: Education. Marshall Islands Public School System operates public schools: Students are zoned to Jaluit High School in Jaluit Atoll. In the 1994–1995 school year Ailinglaplap had one private high school.