| Marshall Islands |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Marshall Islands | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | 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 islands between 1947 and 1962.

Marshall Islands | Geography | Top of Page

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

Geographic coordinates: | 9 00 N, 168 00 E

Map references: | Oceania

Area: | total: 181.3 sq km land: 181.3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, and Kwajalein

Area - comparative: | about the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | 0 km

Coastline: | 370.4 km

Maritime claims: | contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt

Terrain: | low coral limestone and sand islands

Elevation extremes: | 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% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 40%

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues: | inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: | two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range

Marshall Islands | People | Top of Page

Population: | 70,822 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 49.29% (male 17,808; female 17,101) 15-64 years: 48.61% (male 17,573; female 16,853) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 707; female 780) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 3.88% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 45.07 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 6.23 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 39.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 65.84 years male: 64.04 years female: 67.73 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 6.55 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups: | 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: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 100% female: 88% (1980 est.)

Marshall Islands | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Government type: | constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986

Capital: | Majuro

Administrative divisions: | 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

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

National holiday: | Constitution Day, 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: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own members for a four-year term; election last held 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100%

Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders: | 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 - Kabua Party [Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | 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

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Joan M. PLAISTED 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

Flag description: | 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

Marshall Islands | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish 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 Compact of Free Association, the US provides roughly $65 million in annual aid. Negotiations were underway in 1999 for an extended agreement. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, and the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties caused GDP to fall in 1996-98.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $105 million (1998 est.), supplemented by approximately $65 million annual US aid

GDP - real growth rate: | -5% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,670 (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 15% industry: 13% services: 72% (1995)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5% (1997)

Labor force: | NA

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate: | 16% (1991 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $80.1 million expenditures: $77.4 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (FY95/96 est.)

Industries: | copra, fish, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls, offshore banking (embryonic)

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%

Agriculture - products: | coconuts, tomatoes, melons, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens

Exports: | $28 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports - commodities: | fish, coconut oil, trochus shells

Exports - partners: | US, Japan, Australia

Imports: | $58 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco

Imports - partners: | US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Guam, Singapore

Debt - external: | $125 million (FY96/97 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | approximately $65 million annually from the US

Currency: | US dollar (USD)

Currency code: | USD

Exchange rates: | the US dollar is used

Fiscal year: | 1 October - 30 September

Marshall Islands | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 3,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 365 (1996)

Telephone system: | general assessment: telex services domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | NA

Television broadcast stations: | 3 (of which two are US military stations) (1997)

Televisions: | NA

Internet country code: | .mh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)

Internet users: | 500 (2000)

Marshall Islands | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Majuro

Merchant marine: | total: 212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,768,406 GRT/16,242,699 DWT ships by type: bulk 63, cargo 9, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 29, liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 87, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1, US 6 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 16 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Marshall Islands | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | no regular military forces (a coast guard may be established); Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA%

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the US

Marshall Islands | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | claims US territory of Wake Island