| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Kwajalein |
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(kwä´jäl n, –l n, –l n) (KEY) , coral atoll, 6.5 sq mi (16.8 sq km), central Pacific, in the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. The largest atoll of the Marshalls, Kwajalein, consists of a group of 97 islets surrounding a lagoon. A large Japanese naval and air base was located there during World War II, and after the U.S. conquest of the Marshalls (1944) U.S. military bases were established. A U.S. antimissile-missile test base is on Kwajalein. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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