After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.

Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

9 00 N, 168 00 E

Oceania

total: 11,854.3 sq km
land: 181.3 sq km
water: 11,673 sq km (note - lagoon waters)
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik

about the size of Washington, DC

0 km

370.4 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt

low coral limestone and sand islands

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals

arable land: 11.11%
permanent crops: 44.44%
other: 44.45% (2005)

0 sq km

infrequent typhoons

inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is used as a US missile test range; island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific

60,422 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 38.1% (male 11,720/female 11,295)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 18,305/female 17,445)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 801/female 856) (2006 est.)

total: 20.3 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 20.3 years (2006 est.)

2.25% (2006 est.)

33.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

4.78 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

-5.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 28.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 31.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 70.31 years
male: 68.33 years
female: 72.39 years (2006 est.)

3.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)

NA

NA

NA

noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese

Micronesian

Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)

Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census)
note: English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese and English are official languages

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 93.6%
female: 93.7% (1999)

conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
conventional short form: Marshall Islands
former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands District

constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Majuro

33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik, Wotho, Wotje

21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)

1 May 1979

based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of the legislature
elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own members for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held November 2007)
election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100%

unicameral legislature or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held by November 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
note: the Council of Chiefs or Ironij is a 12-member body comprised of tribal chiefs that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice

Supreme Court; High Court; Traditional Rights Court

traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Aelon Kein Ad Party [Michael KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]

NA

ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM
chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236
consulate(s) general: Honolulu

chief of mission: Ambassador Greta N. MORRIS
embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379
telephone: [692] 247-4011
FAX: [692] 247-4012

blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes

US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. Under the terms of the Amended Compact of Free Association, the US will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands (RMI) through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties, and less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.

$115 million (2001 est.)

NA

1% (2001 est.)

$1,600 (2001 est.)

agriculture: 14%
industry: 16%
services: 70% (2000 est.)

28,700 (1996 est.)

agriculture: 21.4%
industry: 20.9%
services: 57.7%

30.9% (1999 est.)

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

2% (2001 est.)

revenues: $42 million
expenditures: $40 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens

copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from seashells, wood, and pearls

NA%

fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1% (solar)

$9 million f.o.b. (2000)

copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish

US, Japan, Australia, China (2004)

$54 million f.o.b. (2000)

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco

US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2004)

$86.5 million (FY99/00 est.)

more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002

US dollar (USD)

USD

the US dollar is used

1 October - 30 September

5,510 (2004)

1,198 (2004)

general assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) and mini-satellite telephones
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2001)

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0
note: additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station on Kwajalein (2005)

NA

2 (both are US military stations)
note: Marshalls Broadcasting Service (cable company) operates on Majuro (2005)

NA

.mh

6 (2005)

1 (2002)

2,000 (2005)

15 (2005)

total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)

total: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2005)

total: 64.5 km
paved: 64.5 km
note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks (2002)

total: 706 ships (1000 GRT or over) 28,268,511 GRT/47,217,632 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 139, cargo 46, chemical tanker 110, combination ore/oil 10, container 116, liquefied gas 20, passenger 7, petroleum tanker 241, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 7, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: 632 (Australia 2, Bermuda 4, Canada 6, Chile 1, Croatia 2, Cyprus 7, Denmark 1, Germany 157, Greece 179, Hong Kong 8, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 5, Kazakhstan 1, Latvia 6, Monaco 8, Netherlands 5, NZ 1, Norway 35, Portugal 2, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 5, Slovenia 2, Spain 2, Sweden 1, Switzerland 11, Turkey 24, UAE 2, UK 20, US 131)
registered in other countries: 4 (North Korea 2, Mongolia 1, Panama 1) (2005)

Majuro

no regular military forces; Marshall Islands Police

males age 18-49: 13,465 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 10,792 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 726 (2005 est.)

NA

NA

defense is the responsibility of the US

claims US territory of Wake Island