Kwajalein is one of the world’s largest atolls (rings of coral islands). It lies in the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Kwajalein has over 90 islands, with a combined land area of about 6 square miles (16 square kilometers). It is about 190 miles (306 kilometers) in circumference, and surrounds a lagoon with an area of about 840 square miles (2,175 square kilometers).
Japan took Kwajalein from Germany in 1914. In World War II (1939-1945), Japan fortified the atoll and built airstrips and a seaplane base on Kwajalein. The United States captured Kwajalein in February 1944 and used it as a naval base during the rest of the war. In the mid-1960’s, the United States began using the island as a missile testing site. In 1947, Kwajalein and the rest of the Marshalls became part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In 1986, the United States granted independence to the Marshall Islands. Under a Compact of Free Association, the United States retained use of the missile-testing range at Kwajalein. In return, the United States agreed to defend the Marshall Islands and provide economic aid.
