Marshall Islands

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea

Area

Total area: 181.3 sq km
Land area: 181.3 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Note: Includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein

Land Boundaries

0 km

Coastline

370.4 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

International Disputes

Claims U.S. territory of Wake Island

Climate

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

Terrain

Low coral limestone and sand islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Natural Resources

Phosphate deposits
Marine products
Deep seabed minerals

Land Use

Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 60%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 40%

Irrigated Land

Environment

Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
International agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

Note: Two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Eniwetak are former U.S. nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a U.S. missile test range

PEOPLE

Population

58,363 (July 1996 est.)
56,157 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

51% (male 15,043; female 14,435) (July 1996 est.)
51% (male 14,547; female 13,950) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

47% (male 14,084; female 13,399) (July 1996 est.)
47% (male 13,470; female 12,801) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

2% (male 657; female 745) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 649; female 740) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

3.85% (1996 est.)
3.86% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

45.75 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
46.03 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

7.28 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
7.48 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

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: 0.88 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.04 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

46.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
48 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 63.81 years (1996 est.), 63.49 years (1995 est.)
Male: 62.25 years 91996 est.), 61.94 years (1995 est.)
Female: 65.45 years (1996 est.), 65.11 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

6.83 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.89 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic Divisions

Micronesian

Religions

Christian (mostly Protestant)

Languages

English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1980)

Total population: 93%
Male: 100%
Female: 88%

Labor Force

4,800 (1986)

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Conventional short form: Marshall Islands
Former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Digraph

Type

Constitutional government in free association with the U.S.; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986

Capital

Majuro

Administrative Divisions

None

Independence

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

National Holiday

Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)

Constitution

1 May 1979

Legal System

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state and head of government: President Amata KABUA (since NA 1979) was elected for a four-year term by the Nitijela from among its own members; election last held 20 November 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President Amata KABUA was reelected
Cabinet: Cabinet; president selects from the parliament

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

Parliament (Nitijela)

Elections last held 20 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1999); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (33 total) seats by party NA

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties and Leaders

government: Our Islands Party, President Amata KABUA
opposition: Ralik/Ratak Democratic Party (RRDP), Ramsey REIMERS

Member of

AsDB, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Flag

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

ECONOMY

Overview

Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. A few cattle ranches supply the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange and employs about 10% of the labor force. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. The government is drafting economic reforms designed to increase revenue and compensate for reductions in US Government grants - in 1994, the US Government provided grants of $50 million, equal to 55% of the Marshall Islands' GDP. About 25% of the government's 1995/96 budget is devoted to debt repayment.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $94 million (1995 est.), $75 million (1992 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

1.5% (1995 est.)
6% (1992)

National Product Per Capita

$1,680 (1995 est.)
$1,500 (1992 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

4% (1995 est.)
7% (1992 est.)

Unemployment Rate

16% (1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues: $67.2 million (FY94/95 est.), $106 million (1993)
Expenditures: $79.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.), $128.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1993)

Exports

$21.3 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$3.9 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

Commodities:

Coconut oil
Fish
Live animals
Trichus shells

Partners:

Imports

$69.9 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
$62.9 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

Commodities:

Foodstuffs
Machinery and equipment
Beverages and tobacco
Fuels

Partners:

U.S.
Japan
Australia

External Debt

$170 million (1994)

Industrial Production

Growth rate NA

Electricity

Capacity: 42,000 kW
Production: 80 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,840 kWh (1990)

Industries

Copra, fish, tourism
Craft items from shell, wood, and pearls
Offshore banking (embryonic)

Agriculture

Coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, pigs, chickens

Economic Aid

Recipient: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the U.S. is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

U.S. currency is used

Fiscal Year

1 October - 30 September

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: NA

Note: Paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks

Ports

Majuro

Merchant Marine

Total: 78 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,068,782 GRT/5,073,125 DWT
Ships by type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 17, oil tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1995 est.)

Airports

Total: 16
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 5
With unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

800 telephones (1988 est.)

Domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes)
International: 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations; U.S. Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
Radios: NA

Television

Broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: NA

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

No regular military forces (a coast guard may be established); Police Force

Note: Defense is the responsibility of the U.S.

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 5 december 1997

web hosting • domain names
web design • online games