Ralik

Ralik Chain

Native name: Rālik
Map of the Ralik (left) and Ratak island chains
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	8°00′N 167°00′E
Administration
Marshall Islands

The Ralik Chain (Marshallese: Rālik, [rˠæːlʲik]) is a chain of islands within the island nation of the Marshall Islands. Ralik means "sunset". It is west of the Ratak Chain. In 1999 the total population of the Ralik islands was 19,915. Christopher Loeak, who became President of the Marshall Islands in 2012, was formerly Minister for the Ralik Chain.

List of atolls and isolated islands in the chain:

• Ailinginae Atoll
• Ailinglaplap Atoll
• Bikini Atoll
• Ebon Atoll
• Enewetak Atoll
• Jabat Island
• Jaluit Atoll
• Kili Island
• Kwajalein Atoll
• Lae Atoll
• Lib Island
• Namdrik Atoll
• Namu Atoll
• Rongdrik Atoll
• Rongelap Atoll
• Ujae Atoll
• Ujelang Atoll
• Wotho Atoll

Language

Main article: Marshallese language

The Rālik Chain is home to the Rālik dialect (or western dialect) of the Marshallese language. It is mutually intelligible with the Ratak dialect (or eastern dialect) located on the Ratak Chain. The two dialects differ mainly in lexicon and in certain regular phonological reflexes.