1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
Coastline
370.4 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Disputes
claims US territory of Wake Island
Environment
occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 40%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals
Note
located 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and Eniwetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
Terrain
low coral limestone and sand islands
Total area
181.3 km2; land area: 181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein
People and Society
Birth rate
47 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
almost entirely Micronesian
Infant mortality rate
53 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
4,800 (1986)
Language
English universally spoken and is the official language; two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
Life expectancy at birth
61 years male, 64 years female (1991)
Literacy
93% (male 100%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Nationality
noun--Marshallese; adjective--Marshallese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
none
Population
48,091 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
Religion
predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant
Total fertility rate
7.1 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Majuro
Communists
none
Constitution
1 May 1979
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL; Chancery at 2433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-5414; US--Ambassador William BODDE, Jr.; Embassy at NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box 680, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-4380); telephone 692-4011
Elections
President--last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results--President Amata KABUA was reelected; Parliament--last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(33 total)
Executive branch
president, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Amata KABUA (since 1979)
Legal system
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Legislative branch
unicameral Nitijela
Long-form name
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Member of
ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN
National holiday
Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
Political parties and leaders
no formal parties; President KABUA is chief political (and traditional) leader
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
Economy
Agriculture
coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
Budget
revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
Currency
US currency is used
Economic aid
under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually
Electricity
42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
US currency is used
Exports
$2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--copra, copra oil, agricultural products, handicrafts; partners--NA
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
1 October-30 September
GDP
$63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Imports
$29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, building materials; partners--NA
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
copra, fish, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearl; offshore banking (embryonic)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.6% (1981)
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. A few cattle ranches supply the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange and employs about 10% of the labor force. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. In 1987 the US Government provided grants of $40 million out of the Marshallese budget of $55 million.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
5 total, 5 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Highways
macadam and concrete roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Merchant marine
23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,654,871 GRT/3,236,549 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 bulk carrier; note--a flag of convenience registry
Ports
Majuro
Telecommunications
telephone network--570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the US _%_