Where is Bikini Bottom?


Bikini Bottom is located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, below its signature island, Bikini Atoll, according to Stephen Hillenburg. Bikini Atoll (also known as Pikinni Atoll) is a World Heritage listed atoll in the MicronesianPacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands. Within Bikini Atoll, Bikini Island is the northeastern most and largest islet, measuring 4 kilometres (2.5 mi)long. About twelve kilometres to the northwest is the islet of Aomen. As part of the Pacific Proving Grounds it was the site of more than 20 nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958. 

The atoll, however, has always been called Bikini by the native Marshall Islanders, from Marshallese "Pik" meaning "surface" and "Ni" meaning "coconut". The name was popularized in the United States not only by nuclear bomb tests, but because the bikini swimsuit was named after the island in 1946.

The HIstory of Bikini Atoll
Humans have inhabited the atoll for at least 2,000 years. Bikini was visited by only a dozen or so ships before the establishment of the German colony of the Marshall Islands in 1885. Along with the rest of the Marshalls, Bikini was captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1914 during World War I and mandated to the Empire of Japan by the League of Nations in 1920. The Japanese administered the island under the South Pacific Mandate, but mostly left local affairs in hands of traditional local leaders until the start of World War II.

Following the end of World War II, Bikini came under the control of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands until the independence of the Marshall Islands in 1986. Between 1946 and 1958, twenty-three nuclear devices were detonated at Bikini Atoll, beginning with the Operation Crossroads series in the summer of 1946. Preceding the nuclear tests, the indigenous population was relocated to Rongerik Atoll, though during the Castle Bravo detonation in particular some members of the population were exposed to nuclear fallout.


In 1968 the United States declared Bikini habitable and started bringing a small group of Bikinians back to their homes in the early 1970s as a test. In 1978, however, the islanders were removed again when strontium-90 in their bodies reached dangerous levels after a French team of scientists did additional tests on the island. It was not uncommon for women to experience faulty pregnancies, miscarriages, stillbirths and damage to their offspring as a result of the nuclear testing on Bikini. The United States provided $150 million as a settlement for damages caused by the nuclear testing program.
The Bikini Atoll was entered into the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites on August 2010.


The special International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Bikini Advisory Group determined in 1997 that "It is safe to walk on all of the islands ... although the residual radioactivity on islands in Bikini Atoll is still higher than on other atolls in the Marshall Islands, it is not hazardous to health at the levels measured ... The main radiation risk would be from the food: eating locally grown produce, such as fruit, could add significant radioactivity to the body...Eating coconuts or breadfruit from Bikini Island occasionally would be no cause for concern. But eating many over a long period of time without having taken remedial measures might result in radiation doses higher than internationally agreed safety levels."
The dose received from background radiation on the island was found to be between 2.4 mSv/year and 4.5 mSv/year (the lower rate is the same as natural background radiation).

Other Character

Mrs. Puff - SpongeBob's pufferfish teacher who runs a boating school. Mrs. Puff's Boating School consists of a single classroom, where Mrs. Puff teaches classes much like a grade school teacher, surrounded by a large training course with many features and obstacles. Mrs. Puff has the ability to inflate herself, which she usually does when frightened or injured.





Pearl Krabs - She is the daughter of Eugene Krabs and Mrs. Krabs. Pearl is a sperm whale with blonde hair in a constant ponytail, big blue eyes and a large, rectangular head. She commonly wears a pink shirt with a dark pink letter P, which stands for Pearl, as as a dark pink skirt and white boots. Pearl loves the band "Boys Who Cry", acts like a typical teenage girl, and has a dream to become a Cheerleader, but is denied because of her weight. 




Mermaid Man - one of SpongeBob's favorite superheros. He and his sidekick, Barnacle Boy, are the stars of a show-within-a-show called "The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy". The two are now very old, and currently reside at Shady Shoals Rest Home.




Barnacle Boy - Mermaid Man's sidekick. Barnacle Boy is thin, bald, has large nose similar to and bigger than Squidward's, has puffy ears and wears a tiny shirt revealing his milkshake jugs, a black mask and a turquoise neckerchief, and a bad haircut. He also wears dark blue rubber gloves, boots, a red T-shirt, and rubber black shorts. Being younger, he is more sane and self-aware than Mermaid Man. However, Barnacle Boy is also more cranky and rude.



Flying Dutchman - a pirate ghost who haunts the residents of Bikini Bottom. He is a green pirate ghost named after the famous ghost ship of the same name. He lives in a giant ship that floats in the underwater "sky."







Larry the Lobster - is a muscular red lobster who is a common patron and lifeguard of Bikini Bottom's popular beach, Goo Lagoon. Larry is a bodybuilder and is often seen competing or working out. Larry is one of the strongest creatures in Bikini Bottom, possibly second only to Sandy Cheeks, of whom he is a good friend. 




Squilliam Fancyson - Squidward's high school rival. He is a very wealthy, snooty, unibrow-endowed squid who has succeeded in everything Squidward has failed in and thus looks down upon him. Squidward is painfully jealous and constantly attempts to show Squilliam he is not a loser, with varying results. Like other squid/octopus characters, Squilliam's character model is nearly identical to Squidward, but he has a unibrow and he wears a fancy maroon robe.


French Narrator - is a man with a heavy French accent who speaks at the beginning, and sometimes middle and/or end, of most episodes.





Patchy the Pirate - a live-action character who hosts SpongeBob SquarePants specials and major events. He resides in a small home in Encino, California. His bedroom is filled with SpongeBob-themed items such as plush toys, collectibles, bedspreads, and pillows. He also wears SpongeBob underwear. He has a pet parrot, Potty, a string puppet whose strings are clearly shown and is known for poorly being controlled by the puppeteer.



Karen Valencia Plankton - Plankton's computer wife. She is the main computer system of Plankton's lab, and is often the source of his plots. Karen usually manifests on the large-screen computer in Plankton's lab, but sometimes acts through a portable wheeled computer. Karen and Plankton's relationship is a very troubled one. Plankton sometimes does not consider her his true soulmate.
 
Potty the Parrot - Patchy the Pirate's pet parrot. Potty is a crudely made puppet with very obvious strings. He is very obnoxious, and normally annoys and talks back to Patchy.







Johnny Erain - is the realistic fish head who frequently announces/hosts various news reports and other events in Bikini Bottom. Johnny has also been the announcer at other events and serves as a news anchorman for the Bikini Bottom News.




King Neptune - the King of the territory that includes Bikini Bottom and the surrounding areas. Neptune is the god and supreme ruler of the sea. He has never explicitly been shown to be worshipped by the creatures of the sea.







Painty the Pirate - is a painting of a pirate head who sings the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song. His mouth is actually real, so he could talk. The real lips in the painting are the lips of Stephen Hillenburg, the show's creator. He has a patch over his left eye, a skull-and-crossbones hat, and of course the parrot on his left shoulder. He is voiced by Patrick Pinney in most appearances.

 
Man Ray - is archenemy of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Man Ray is an anthromorphized Manta Ray with a blue helmet shaped like the head of a manta ray and red skin. His gloves, boots, and speedo are a deep blue color. He has no head under his helmet.



Dirty Bubble -  he arch-nemesis of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. His form is that of a giant, dirty bubble, hence his name. He can capture an object by landing over it and sucking it in.






Betsy Krabs -  is Eugene Krabs's mother and Pearl Krabs's grandmother. She wears a purple or blue dress with large navy glasses, and has grey hair. She lives in a pink anchor, probably on Anchor Way like Mr. Krabs.

Main Character

Spongebob Squarepants - He is an optimistic and friendly sea sponge who works at the Krusty Krab, attends boating school, and hangs out with his friend Patrick, or spends time with Sandy, a squirrel. He's always happy.
Patrick Star - Spongebob's best friend and neighbor, who is a starfish. He is known to not do anything, and makes him a negative influence over his best friend because his lack of intelligence. He is the dumbest creature under the sea
Squidward Tentacles - SpongeBob's neighbor and co-worker. SpongeBob and Patrick view Squidward as their friend, but he finds SpongeBob and Patrick to be very annoying, and usually dislikes the two. He also plays the clarinet (badly), and has a deep interest in the arts.
Eugene H. Krabs - SpongeBob and Squidward's boss, a money-obsessed crab who is the owner and founder of the Krusty Krab.
Sandy Cheeks - A female squirrel from Texas. She is one of SpongeBob's friends. She need a pressurized suit to live under the water. She plays a lot of extreme sports. She and Spongebob love Karate.
Gary the Snail - SpongeBob's pet snail who meows like a cat. He may look dumb, but he might be smarter than the rest of Bikini Bottom. He keeps cool underpressure and has a solution for every problem.
Sheldon J. Plankton - Mr. Krabs' rival who is the owner and founder of the Chum Bucket. He continually tries to steal the Krabby Patty formula but has never succeeded.

Setting of Spongebob Squarepants


Bikini Bottom
 
Much of the series' events take place in Bikini Bottom, an underwater city located in the Pacific Ocean beneath the real life tropical isle of Bikini Atoll. Stephen Hillenburg has stated that much of Bikini Bottom was based on the real life city of Seatlle, Washington. In many episodes, the laws of physics are violated for comedic value. The citizens of Bikini Bottom live in mostly aquatic-themed buildings, and use "boatmobiles", an amalgamation of cars and boats, as a mode of transportation.
The city consists of various businesses, including restaurants, stores, and manufacturers. The city has a stable economy, a balanced education system, health care, a structured government, and a firm law enforcement system. There are even stadiums, amusement parks, and other recreational facilities.