Iroijlaplap ( Marshallese: ; feminine: Leroijlaplap, ) are the traditional

paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for a king or queen or the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a Chiefdom, chief-based system. This term is used occasionally ...

s in the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

. Ordinary chiefs bear the title of Iroij (feminine: Leroij); -' is a

superlative The degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs are the various forms taken by adjectives and adverbs when used to compare two entities (comparative degree), three or more entities (superlative degree), or when not comparing entities (positi ...

suffix.

Legal basis

Article III of the

Constitution of the Marshall Islands A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

recognises the title. It establishes a Council of Iroij, composed of holders of the title of Iroijlaplap or other analogous traditional titles, chosen from holders of the chieftainship among the several constituent islands. The council is empowered to "consider any matter of concern to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and it may express its opinion thereon to the Cabinet". The council is also entitled to formally request the reconsideration of any bill in the Nitijela, the

Legislature of the Marshall Islands The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in nineteen single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 20, 2023. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially nonpar ...

, that affects customary law, traditional practices, or land tenure.

Reigning Iroijlaplap

There are several Iroijlaplap; several are listed here: * Michael Kabua of

Kwajalein Atoll Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...

* Remios Hermios of

Ratak The Ratak Chain ( , ) is a chain of islands and atolls within the island nation of the Marshall Islands. Ratak means "sunrise". It lies to the east of the country's other island chain, the Ralik Chain. In 1999, the total population of the Rata ...

(excluding

Majuro Majuro (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ' ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain, Ratak ( ...

Arno Atoll Arno Atoll (, ) is a coral atoll of 133 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only . Unlike most other atolls, Arno encloses three different lagoons, a ...

and Mili Atoll). * Lein Zedkaia of Majuro, Arno Atoll, and Mili Atoll. * Christopher Loeak of

Ailinglaplap Atoll Ailinglaplap or Ailinglapalap ( Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 56 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain in the Marshall Islands. It is located northwest of Jaluit Atoll. Its total land area is ...

References

Culture of the Marshall Islands Titles of national or ethnic leadership *Main {{Oceania-poli-stub