world
factbook
Marshall Islands
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 conducted on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962 (67 tests total). The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network. Kwajalein also hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), on Ascension (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha), and at Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory)).

geography

location

Oceania
9.0° N, 168. 0° E
Oceania, consists of 29 atolls and five isolated islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; the atolls and islands are situated in two, almost-parallel island chains - the Ratak (Sunrise) group and the Ralik (Sunset) group; the total number of islands and islets is about 1,225; 22 of the atolls and four of the islands are uninhabited

area

181 sq km
land
181 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

370.4 km

climate

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

terrain

low coral limestone and sand islands

elevation

2 m
lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0 m
highest point
East-central Airik Island, Maloelap Atoll
14 m

natural resources

  • coconut products
  • marine products
  • deep seabed minerals

land use

arable land
7.8 %
permanent crops
31.2 %
permanent pasture
11.7 %
forest
49.3 %
other
0 %

population distribution

most people live in urban clusters found on many of the country's islands; more than two-thirds of the population lives on the atolls of Majuro and Ebeye

people

population

  • 77,917
  • 200
    global rank

nationality

  • Marshallese (singular and plural)
    noun
  • Marshallese
    adjective

ethnic groups

Marshallese
92.1 %
mixed Marshallese
5.9 %
other
2 %

languages

  • Marshallese
    official
  • other languages
    1999 census

religions

Protestant
80.5 %
Roman Catholic
8.5 %
Mormon
7 %
Jehovah's Witness
1.7 %
other
1.2 %
none
1.1 %

birth rate

  • 22.8
    per 1,000 population
  • 61
    global rank

death rate

  • 4.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 210
    global rank

urban population

77.8 %

major urban areas

  • Majuro
    pop. 31,000

life expectancy

  • 74.1
    total population
  • 135
    global rank
71.8
male
76.5
female

adult obesity rate

  • 52.9%
    percent of adults
  • 4
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Republic of the Marshall Islands
    long form
  • Marshall Islands
    short form

    local

  • Republic of the Marshall Islands
    long form
  • Marshall Islands
    short form

government type

mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US

capital

Majuro; note - the capital is an atoll of 64 islands; governmental buildings are housed on three fused islands on the eastern side of the atoll: Djarrit, Uliga, and Delap
7.6 N, 171.23 E

independence

national holidays

  • Constitution Day
    1 May

legal system

mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes

age of suffrage

18

flag description

blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays appears on the hoist side above the two stripes; blue represents the Pacific Ocean, the orange stripe signifies the Ralik Chain or sunset and courage, while the white stripe signifies the Ratak Chain or sunrise and peace; the star symbolizes the cross of Christianity, each of the 24 rays designates one of the electoral districts in the country and the four larger rays highlight the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje, and Ebeye; the rising diagonal band can also be interpreted as representing the equator, with the star showing the archipelago's position just to the north

national colors

  • blue
  • white
  • orange

national anthem

Forever Marshall Islands

economy

overview

US assistance and lease payments for the use of Kwajalein Atoll as a US military base are the mainstay of this small island country. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Industry is limited to handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. Tourism holds some potential. The islands and atolls have few natural resources, and imports exceed exports. The Marshall Islands received roughly $1 billion in aid from the US during the period 1986-2001 under the original Compact of Free Association (Compact). In 2002 and 2003, the US and the Marshall Islands renegotiated the Compact's financial package for a 20-year period, 2004 to 2024. Under the amended Compact, the Marshall Islands will receive roughly $1.5 billion in direct US assistance. Under the amended Compact, the US and Marshall Islands are also jointly funding a Trust Fund for the people of the Marshall Islands that will provide an income stream beyond 2024, when direct Compact aid ends.

GDP

196,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • coconuts
  • tomatoes
  • melons
  • taro
  • breadfruit
  • fruits
  • pigs
  • chickens

budget

  • 116,700,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 113,900,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 2,361
    total subscriptions
  • 211
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 16,000
    total subscriptions
  • 212
    global rank

broadcast media

no TV broadcast station; a cable network is available on Majuro with programming via videotape replay and satellite relays; 4 radio broadcast stations; American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) provides satellite radio and television service to Kwajalein Atoll (2019)

internet

.mh
country code

    users

  • 29,290
    total
  • 38.7
    % of population
  • 205
    global rank

energy

electricity access

93.1%
2016

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 1
    registered air carriers
  • 86,868
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 15
    total
  • 4
    paved

roadways

2,028 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.