BIKINI Q'S AND A'S 1. Q A. WHERE IS BIKINI? Bikini is an atoll containing 26 islands surrounding a fresh water lagoon, located approximately 11 degrees north of the equator on the northwestern fringe of the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific. Bikini atoll is about 25 miles long and 15 miles wide and contains a total land area of 2.32 square — miles, 2. Q. WHY WAS BIKINI CHOSEN AS A TEST SITE? Because it was far from densely populated areas and the prevailing winds could blow the fallout from the tests into the vast uninhabited stretches of the Central Pacific, Q. WHERE DID THE BIKINIANS LIVE BEFORE THEY LEFT THE ATOLL? A. Bikini was the home island, and regular trips were made to the other islands for copra production, hunting, fishing or vacationing. 4. Q. A. WILL THE ISLANDS BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE BIKINIANS? Not as they are right now. Food producing plants have been crowded out by the scrub vegetation~-somewhat like weeds taking over a farm that has been uninhabited for many years, De Q-. IS THERE VEGETATION ON ALL THE ISLANDS? Yes, there is some type of vegetation on all the islands; the density varies, however. On the islands nearest the tests where the topsoil was blown or washed away along with most of (more)