Kwajalein forms a part of the Marshall Islands which lie midway between Hawaii and Australia.
Kwajalein is one of the largest atolls in the world. Its 97 islands surround an immense 2174 square kilometres of water. The total land area is just over 16 square kilometres.
Kwajalein is a US military base, and its inhabitants are mostly Americans. This beautiful atoll was discovered by a Spanish expedition led by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in January 1543. Kwajalein’s strategic location made it one of the targets for the Allied Forces during World War II.
In late January 1944, a combined force of US Marine and Army troops launched an amphibious assault on three islets in the atoll, and captured Kwajalein from the Japanese. The wrecks of ships and aircrafts from this battle can still be seen in the lagoon to this day.
