Ratak – The Marshall Islands' chain of the rising sun
The Ratak Chain, whose Marshallese name means "sunrise", forms the eastern half of the Marshall Islands, lying east of its sister chain Ralik. Its atolls and islands continue a line of undersea mountains that stretches south toward the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati. For centuries, Marshallese navigators travelled between these low coral islands in outrigger canoes, guided by a deep knowledge of wave patterns passed down through generations.
Today the chain includes Majuro, the country's capital, and in 1999 it was home to around 31,000 people. Island life here still combines traditional customs with modern town life. Do you have stories, photos or family memories from the Ratak atolls? Share them with our community!