1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 181.3 km2 land area: 181.3 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetok, and Kwajalein
Climate
wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
Coastline
370.4 km
Environment
occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
International disputes
claims US territory of Wake Island
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 60% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 40%
Location
Oceania, in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea
Map references
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
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
Bikini and Eniwetok 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
People and Society
Birth rate
46.65 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
7.91 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Micronesian
Infant mortality rate
50.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
4,800 (1986) by occupation: NA
Languages
English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 62.79 years male: 61.27 years female: 64.38 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 93% male: 100% female: 88%
Nationality
noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
51,982 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
3.87% (1993 est.)
Religions
Christian (mostly Protestant)
Total fertility rate
6.99 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Majuro
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Amata KABUA (since 1979)
Constitution
1 May 1979
Digraph
RM
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 234-5414
Executive branch
president, Cabinet
FAX
(011) 692-4012
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)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Legislative branch
unicameral Nitijela (parliament)
Member of
AsDB, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, WHO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
National holiday
Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
Parliament
last held 18 November 1991 (next to be held November 1995); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (33 total)
Political parties and leaders
no formal parties; President KABUA is chief political (and traditional) leader
President
last held 6 January 1992 (next to be held NA; results - President Amata KABUA was reelected
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. FIELDS
Economy
Agriculture
coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, 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
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 pearls; offshore banking (embryonic)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $63 million (1989 est.)
National product per capita
$1,500 (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate
NA%
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
total: 16 usable: 16 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8
Highways
paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Merchant marine
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,786,070 GRT/3,498,895 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container, 9 oil tanker, 15 bulk carrier, 2 combination ore/oil; 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); broadcast 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