Lib Island
Lib Island is located in Marshall Islands
Lib Island
Lib Island
Geography
LocationNorth Pacific
Coordinates8°18′45″N 167°22′45″E / 8.31250°N 167.37917°E / 8.31250; 167.37917
ArchipelagoRalik
Total islands1
Area0.93 km2 (0.36 sq mi)
Highest elevation3 m (10 ft)
Administration
Demographics
Population156 (2021)
Ethnic groupsMarshallese

Lib Island (Marshallese: Ellep, [ɛllʲɛpʲ][1]) is an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is 0.93 km2 (0.36 sq mi). The population of Lib Island was 156 at the 2021 census.[2]

History

The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Lib Island happened on 8 January 1565 by Spanish navigator Alonso de Arellano commanding patache San Lucas. It was charted by Arellano as Los Nadadores ("The Swimmers" in Spanish). In his account of the sighting, Arellano stated that the inhabitants of Lib would be fine for pulling an oar in a galley, being big and well made, and were a warlike people, being expert in throwing stones with slings. He also expressed an opinion that they must be of the Devil because their island was a thousand leagues from firm land.[3]

Captain Thomas Dennet of the British vessel Britannia sighted the island in 1797 on route from Australia to China and named it Princess Island.[4]

Education

Marshall Islands Public School System operates Lib Elementary School.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Marshallese-English Dictionary - Place Name Index". Austronesian Dictionaries at Trussel2.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ Sharp, Andrew (1960). The discovery of the Pacific Islands. Oxford. p. 34. OCLC 1148833946.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Sharp, Andrew (1962). The Discovery of the Pacific Islands (Second ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 177–8. OCLC 221102993.
  5. ^ "Public Schools Archived 2018-02-21 at the Wayback Machine." Marshall Islands Public School System. Retrieved on February 21, 2018.


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