1995 Edition

Area

total area: 181.3 sq km land area: 181.3 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein

Climate

wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt

Coastline

370.4 km

Environment

current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: occasional typhoons international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

International disputes

claims US territory of Wake Island

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 60% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 40%

Location

Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea

Map references

Oceania

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

two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; 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

Age structure

0-14 years: 51% (female 13,950; male 14,547) 15-64 years: 47% (female 12,801; male 13,470) 65 years and over: 2% (female 740; male 649) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

46.03 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

7.48 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Micronesian

Infant mortality rate

48 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 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: 63.49 years male: 61.94 years female: 65.11 years (1995 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 (1995 est.)

Population

56,157 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

3.86% (1995 est.)

Religions

Christian (mostly Protestant)

Total fertility rate

6.89 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Majuro

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: [1] (202) 234-5414

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Amata KABUA (since 1979); election last held 6 January 1992 (next to be held NA); results - President Amata KABUA was reelected cabinet: Cabinet; president selects from the parliament

FAX

[1] (202) 232-3236 consulate(s) general: Honolulu and Los Angeles

[692] 247-4012

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

Member of

AsDB, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), 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 (Nitijela)

elections last held 18 November 1991 (next to be held November 1995); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (33 total) independents 33

Political parties and leaders

no formal parties; President KABUA is chief political (and traditional) leader

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 embassy: address NA, Majuro mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379 telephone: [692] 247-4011

Agriculture

coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, pigs, chickens

Budget

revenues: $106 million expenditures: $128.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 42,000 kW production: 80 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,840 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$3.9 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: coconut oil, fish, live animals, trichus shells partners: US, Japan, Australia

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Imports

$62.9 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, beverages and tobacco, fuels partners: US, Japan, Australia

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $75 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$1,500 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

6% (1992)

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. The US Government provides about 70% of the budget.

Unemployment rate

16% (1991 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 radios: NA

Telephone system

570 telephones (Majuro) and 186 telephones (Ebeye); telex services local: NA intercity: islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes) international: 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations; US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Television

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 16 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 5 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6

Highways

total: NA note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks

Merchant marine

total: 37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,205,275 GRT/4,263,247 DWT ships by type: bulk carrier 23, cargo 1, combination ore/oil 1, oil tanker 12

Ports

Majuro

Railroads

0 km

Branches

no regular military forces; Police

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US ________________________________________________________________________ MARTINIQUE (overseas department of France)