Lib Island facts for kids
The island in the Marshall Island
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 Lib Island
Location in Marshall Islands
The island in the Marshall Island
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| Geography | |
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| Location | North Pacific |
| Coordinates | 8°18′45″N 167°22′45″E / 8.31250°N 167.37917°E |
| Archipelago | Ralik |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Area | 0.93 km2 (0.36 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 156 (2021) |
| Ethnic groups | Marshallese |
Lib Island is a small, beautiful island located in the huge Pacific Ocean. It's part of the Marshall Islands, a country made up of many islands. Lib Island is also known as Ellep in the local Marshallese language.
This island is a special "legislative district" within the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. This means it has its own local government. Lib Island is quite small, with a total land area of about 0.93 square kilometers. That's less than one square kilometer! In 2021, about 156 people lived on Lib Island.
Contents
Island History and Discoveries
Early European Sightings
The first time Europeans officially saw Lib Island was on January 8, 1565. A Spanish explorer named Alonso de Arellano was sailing a small ship called a patache, named San Lucas. He was the first to record seeing the island.
Arellano named the island Los Nadadores, which means "The Swimmers" in Spanish. He wrote that the people living on Lib Island were strong and well-built. He thought they would be good at rowing boats. He also noted that they were skilled at throwing stones using slings.
Later Naming of the Island
Many years later, in 1797, another ship sighted the island. This was the British vessel Britannia, led by Captain Thomas Dennet. Captain Dennet was on his way from Australia to China. He decided to give the island a new name. He called it Princess Island.
Education on Lib Island
Local School System
The Marshall Islands Public School System helps run the schools across the country. On Lib Island, there is a school called Lib Elementary School. This school provides education for the children living on the island.
