Likiep Atoll

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

Likiep ( German outdated: Count Heyden Islands) is an atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll has a land area of 10.26 km ², which encloses a lagoon of 424 km ². Likiep is located approximately 500 km northwest of Majuro. The highest point of the atoll is located 10 m above sea level.

History

The history of the atoll is very closely related to German colonization efforts in the Pacific. Thus, on Likiep since the end of the 19th century. Copra produced for export. The Kopraproduktion was largely funded by two European families. Firstly, the German family chapel and on the other the Portuguese deBrum. 15 houses and a German Catholic church, built in the period 1880-1937 on the atoll, are evidence of the great influence of the Europeans, especially in terms of architecture. The historic buildings are on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They symbolize the socio-economic transformation of the Polynesian society based on barter and natural religion, towards the capitalist society of Christian 19-20. Century.

Economic importance today have the Kopraproduktion, tourism and the worldwide export of rare edible fish such as yellowfin tuna and typical coral reef fish.

On the island an airfield (: CPI IATA code ) exists.

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