Kaben
Encyclopedia
Kaben or Kaven is a small island in the Maloelap Atoll
in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Together with a few other small islands, it forms part of the "outer islands" of the Marshalls and is situated at the northwestern most tip of the atoll. It is the largest island and one of the few inhabited ones on the atoll
.
s such as the hermit crabs Coenobita
and land crabs from the family Gecarcinidae. Historically, the island has been cited as the home for a large population of edible coconut crab
s.
suggested that, for infrastructure development, the runways of several airstrips throughout the Marshall Islands, including the one on Kaben, be rehabilitated. This rehabilitation was suggested to include de-forestation of the vegetation surrounding the airstrip and the construction of adequate aero-navigational facilities.
Maloelap Atoll
The Maloelap Atoll is a coral atoll of 71 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area is only,. but that encloses a lagoon of . It is located north of the atoll of Aur...
in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Together with a few other small islands, it forms part of the "outer islands" of the Marshalls and is situated at the northwestern most tip of the atoll. It is the largest island and one of the few inhabited ones on the atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
.
Geography
Kaben is a small island, no more than 2.5 kilometers long and a kilometer across. The island has around 1 square miles (2.6 km²) in area. It is almost rectangularly-shaped, with a slight hooklike protuberance on the northeastern region of the island. Kaben is lightly inhabited, having had a few man-made structures erected along its southeast coast.History
Historically, the island has been claimed by the Iroij, royalty of the islands, as their personal property prohibiting peasant islanders from fishing the island's waters. Fishing by local islanders only resumed when an official government for the islands was formed and fishing was officially declared permissible. As the largest island in the atoll, Iroij coronation events have traditionally taken place on Kaben. The island has several myths and legends surrounding it and its remote waters.Fauna
The fauna of the island is similar to that of the other islands in the Marshalls. Terrestrial fauna is limited to small crustaceanCrustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s such as the hermit crabs Coenobita
Coenobita
The genus Coenobita contains the sixteen species of terrestrial hermit crabs. The majority of the species are found in the Indo-Pacific region, with only one species in West Africa, one species occurring along the western Atlantic Ocean, and one species occurring on the Pacific coast of the Americas...
and land crabs from the family Gecarcinidae. Historically, the island has been cited as the home for a large population of edible coconut crab
Coconut crab
The coconut crab, Birgus latro, is a species of terrestrial hermit crab, also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit of terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in today's atmosphere at a weight of up to...
s.
Airport
The island has an airport, Kaben Airport . However, airport is a misnomer. It is a simple airstrip without any major airport facilities. A 2000 Technical Assistance Report by the Asian Development BankAsian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
suggested that, for infrastructure development, the runways of several airstrips throughout the Marshall Islands, including the one on Kaben, be rehabilitated. This rehabilitation was suggested to include de-forestation of the vegetation surrounding the airstrip and the construction of adequate aero-navigational facilities.