Marshall Islands

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: NA%
permanent crops: 60%
permanent pastures : NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
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, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

Population: 60,652 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 50% (male 15,550; female 14,926)
15-64 years : 48% (male 14,732; female 14,032)
65 years and over: 2% (male 662; female 750) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.85% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 45.54 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 7.07 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 45.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.14 years
male: 62.57 years
female: 65.79 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.78 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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.)

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)

Data code: RM

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

National 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: President Imata KABUA (since 14 January 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Imata KABUA (since 14 January 1997); 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 14 January 1997 (next to be held NA January 2000); note - Imata KABUA elected to succeed and complete the term of the late President Amata KABUA
election results : Imata KABUA elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 63%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections : last held 14 January 1997 (next to be held NA 2000; note - new elections will be held upon the completion of the term of the late President Amata KABUA)
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 - Our Islands Party, leader NA, and Ralik/Ratak Democratic Party (RRDP), Ramsey REIMERS

International organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, 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, Long Island, Majuro
mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379; Majuro, 20521-4380 (pouch)
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

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. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange, employs about 10% of the labor force, and remains the best hope for future added income. 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 FY95/96 budget was devoted to debt repayment. In 1996, efforts to stabilize the economy included a 27% reduction in the government's work force and a 10% cut in the budget.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $94 million (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,680 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 14%
services : 70% (1994)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (1995 est.)

Labor force:
total : 4,800 (1986)
by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 16% (1991 est.)

Budget:
revenues : $67.2 million
expenditures: $79.6 million, including capital expenditures of $21.6 million (FY94/95 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 16,000 kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 57 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

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

Exports:
total value: $21.3 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: fish, coconut oil, live animals, trochus shells
partners: US, Japan, Australia

Imports:
total value: $69.9 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco
partners: US, Japan, Australia

Debt - external: $170 million (1994)

Economic aid:
recipient: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Telephones: 800 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: telex services
domestic: 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 1, FM 2, shortwave 1

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1

Televisions: NA

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

Ports and harbors: Majuro

Merchant marine:
total: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,040,788 GRT/6,780,092 DWT
ships by type: bulk carrier 44, cargo 5, combination ore/oil 1, container 21, oil tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1996 est.)

Airports: 16 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 7
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (1996 est.)

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

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Disputes - international: claims US territory of Wake Island