Marshall Islands

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Marshall Islands

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Majol/Republic of the Marshall Islands Area 181 sq km/70 sq mi Capital Dalap-Uliga-Darrit (on Majuro atoll) Language Marshallese, English (both official) Religion Christian (mainly Protestant) and Baha'i Time difference GMT +12 Major holidays 1 January, 1 March, 1 May, 1 July, 21 October, 17 November, 4, 25 December


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Ebeye (the only other town) Physical features comprises the Ratak and Ralik island chains in the West Pacific, which together form an archipelago of 31 coral atolls, 5 islands, and 1,152 islets Airports two international airports; 14 other airports and airfields, two with paved runways; total passengers carried: 19,000 (2002 est) Railways none


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Kessai Note from 2000 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions each of the 24 inhabited atolls has a local government Political parties no organized party system, but in 1991 an opposition grouping, the Ralik Ratak Democratic Party, was founded to oppose the ruling group Death penalty abolished in 1991 Armed forces the USA maintains a military presence on the Kwajalein Atoll (the Compact of Free Association gave the USA responsibility for defence in return for US assistance) Education spend (% GDP) 11.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 12.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency US dollar GDP (US$) 144 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) -1.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 185 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 2,710 (2003 est) Consumer price inflation -3% (2005 est) Unemployment 31.5% (2000) Labour force 22% agriculture, 16% industry, 62% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 79.2 million (2001 est) Major trading partners USA, Japan, Australia Resources phosphates Industries processing of agricultural products, handicrafts, fish products and canning, tourism Exports coconut products, trochus shells, copra, handicrafts, fish, live animals. Principal market: USA 62% (2004 est) Imports machinery and transport equipment, mineral fuels, food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, building materials, chemicals. Principal source: Italy 31% (2005) Arable land 11.1% (2006 est) Agricultural products coconuts, tomatoes, melons, breadfruit, cassava, sweet potatoes, copra; fishing; seaweed and pearl oyster cultivation developed during first half of 1990s


POPULATION

Population 60,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 334 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 67 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 49%, 15–59 47%, 60+ 4% (2002 est) Ethnic groups 90% Marshallese, of predominantly Micronesian descent; remainder European origin, Indian, Chinese, Lebanese Life expectancy 64 (men); 68 (women) (2001 est) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 59 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 91% (men); 90% (women) (1994 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 0.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 2.3 (2002 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 80 (urban); 95 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 8.3 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 1.1 (2005 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 8.8 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 3.5 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

after c. 1000 BC Micronesians first settled the islands. 1529 Visited by Spanish navigator Miguel de Saavedra and thereafter came under Spanish influence. 1875 Spanish rule formally declared in face of increasing encroachment by German traders. 1885 German protectorate established. 1914 Seized by Japan on the outbreak of World War I. 1920–44 Administered under League of Nations mandate by Japan and vigorously colonized. 1944 Japanese removed after heavy fighting with US troops during World War II. 1946–63 Eniwetok and Bikini atolls used for US atom-bomb tests; islanders later demanded rehabilitation and compensation for the damage. 1947 Became part of United Nations (UN) Pacific Islands Trust Territory, administered by USA. 1979 Amata Kabua elected president as internal self-government established. 1986 The Compact of Free Association with USA granted the islands self-government, with USA retaining responsibility for defence and security until 2001. 1990 UN trust status terminated. 1991 Independence agreed with Kabua as president; UN membership granted. 2000 Kessai H Note became president. 2001 Nuclear Claims Tribunal decided on damages due to Bikinians; available cash insufficient; Bikinians to petition the USA for the rest, a decision expected to take years. 2003 USA signed new Compact of Free Association with the Marshall Islands and Micronesia; worth $3.5 billion over 20 years. 2004 President Note re-elected. 2007 Marshall Islands removed from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's blacklist of uncooperative tax havens.


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