NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Republic of the Marshall Islands
former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
INTRODUCTION
|
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 atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands have been home to the US Army Base Kwajalein (USAKA) since 1964. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
9 00 N, 168 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Oceania |
|
Area:
|
total: 181.3 sq km
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik water: 0 sq km land: 181.3 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
about the size of Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
370.4 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 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:
|
coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0% other: 83.33% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
0 sq km |
|
Natural hazards:
|
infrequent typhoons |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels |
|
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 |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
73,630 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 49.1% (male 18,443; female 17,704)
15-64 years: 48.9% (male 18,347; female 17,628) 65 years and over: 2% (male 720; female 788) (2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
3.89% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
44.98 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
6.07 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
38.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 66.18 years
female: 68.09 years (2002 est.) male: 64.35 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
6.49 children born/woman (2002 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 (widely spoken as a second language, both English and Marshallese are official languages), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999) |