Marshall Islands

Full name of country: Republic of the Marshall Islands

Region: Australia-Oceania

Official language: Marshallese, English

Population: 82,011 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Marshallese (singular and plural) (noun), Marshallese (adjective)

Land area: 181 sq km (70 sq miles)

Capital: Majuro

National anthem: "Forever Marshall Islands", by Amata Kabua

National holiday: Constitution Day, May 1 (1979)

Population growth: 1.26% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +12

Flag: The flag of the Marshall Islands features a two-color triangular band that runs diagonally from left to right across a blue field or background. The band, which represents the sunrise, sunset, and the equator, is orange on the top and white on the bottom. In the left hand corner of the flag, a white star is featured. The star, which represents the Marshall Islands, has twenty-four points, each representing an electoral district.

Independence: October 21, 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

Government type: mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on October 21, 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes

The Republic of the Marshall Islands consists of more than one thousand islands grouped into twenty-nine atolls and five individual islands. The country is located about 4,100 kilometers (2,547 miles) southwest of Hawaii and 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) northeast of Papua New Guinea, in the North Pacific Ocean. The shortened name is Marshall Islands (or sometimes RMI). The tiny country is the smallest of the US-affiliated countries in Micronesia.

When the Marshall Islands were part of a United States trust territory, some of the islands were used for nuclear testing during the Cold War. Today, the Marshall Islands is an independent nation with a constitutional government.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Native Marshallese, of ethnic Micronesian origin, constituted 95.6 percent of the population of the Marshall Islands in 2021. Minority ethnic groups include Filipinos, Chinese, and Americans.

English, one of the official languages of the Marshall Islands, is widely spoken as a second language. The other official language is Marshallese, a member of the Malayo-Polynesian language family, of which there are two major dialects, Ralik and Ratan. The overwhelming majority of residents speak Marshallese as a first language.

Almost half of the country's population lives on the island of Majuro, a coral atoll that also serves as the capital. The second-most populated island is Ebeye; it is among the most densely populated islands in the world.

Over the years, people from the outer islands have moved to the more populous centers hoping to find jobs. Many young Marshallese work abroad, in Hawaii, Guam, or the United States. Although many people are emigrating from the Marshall Islands, the country had the sixty one-highest birth rate in the world in 2024, estimated at 21.2 births per 1,000 residents. The rate of population growth has raised concern about overwhelming the islands' natural resources.

The population of the Marshall Islands is fairly young, with 30 percent of the population under the age of fifteen and another 64.3 percent between the ages of fifteen and sixty-four (2023 estimates). Life expectancy at birth is  73  years for males and 77.5 years for females (2024 est.). The population is concentrated mainly on Majuro and Ebeye.

There is no official religion in the Marshall Islands. The Marshallese are 79.3 percent Protestant, with 47.9 percent identifying as United Church of Christ and 14.1 percent as Assembly of God (2021 est.). Another 9.3 percent identify as Roman Catholic.

Marshall Islands's HDI value for 2022 is 0.731— which put the country in the High human development category—positioning it at 102 out of 193 countries and territories.

Indigenous People:Micronesians arrived in the Marshall Islands thousands of years ago, though the precise date is unknown. Expert sailors and navigators, they most likely arrived by outrigger canoe, using waves and currents to navigate and creating charts for other mariners. The modern Micronesian population of the Marshall Islands maintains a rich tradition of songs and chants about their ancient exploits.

Traditional Micronesian society follows inheritance through the maternal line. Each person belongs to a bwij (clan) of their mother's family and is allowed to use the clan's land. The head of the bwij is the alab, and chiefs are known as the iroij.

Education: In the past, young Marshallese had no formal schooling, instead learning primarily from their families and communities. Missionary schools were established on the islands in 1857 and continued through World War II. Once the Marshall Islands came under American administration, a Department of Education was formed, and education through the secondary school level was offered.

Education is free and compulsory from age five to age eighteen. English is the language of instruction. For higher education, students can attend the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI), which offers courses in teacher training and nursing. In addition, the University of the South Pacific has a regional campus in Majuro.

Health Care: The health of the Marshallese is impacted by diabetes, respiratory infections, heart disease, obesity, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. Increased urban population density led to a resurgence of communicable diseases such as leprosy and tuberculosis. The infant mortality rate was 20.6 deaths per 1,000 live births (2024 est.).

The population of the Marshall Islands also faces a unique health situation due to nuclear testing on some of the atolls. Cancer and birth defects are the main conditions related to these tests. The United States has paid compensation claims of more than $604 million (not adjusted for inflation) to the communities affected by radiation.

Lack of qualified medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, is a continuing problem throughout the islands; in 2012, there were only 0.42 physicians for every 1,000 people. The largest hospital is Majuro Hospital.

Food: Rice is the main staple of the Marshallese diet. As in many Pacific island nations, seafood is also an important part of the local cuisine. Locally grown foods such as taro root, breadfruit, and coconut are also common.

Because of limited resources, however, many Marshallese families survive on processed, canned foods, eating few vegetables and little fresh fish. This has contributed to a host of health problems among the population.

Arts & Entertainment: The Marshall Islands are known for the traditional handicrafts produced by the local population. Excellent baskets, woven wall hangings, belts, purses, and mats are made from pandanus leaves by Marshallese women. Marshallese men are experts in woodcarving, canoe building, and constructing the unique stick charts that show ocean currents and are used for navigation. The unique oceangoing canoes built in the Marshall Islands are known as proas.

The 1987 documentary film Radio Bikini examines the effects of the nuclear testing conducted by the United States on Bikini Atoll in 1946. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as well as for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Holidays: Official holidays observed in the Marshall Islands include Memorial Day and Nuclear Victim's Remembrance Day (March 1), Constitution Day (May 1), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Dri-Jerbal Day (September 1), Manit Day (last Friday in September), Independence Day (October 21), President's Day (November 17), Gospel Day (early December), and Christmas Day (December 25).

Many holiday celebrations include dancing and singing. Aging Week, the last week in May, features displays of traditional Marshallese crafts, medicines, and cookery. Fisherman's Day, celebrated on the first Friday in July, marks the beginning of an annual game fishing tournament. Another traditional cultural festival, Alele Week, is held during the last week in August.

Environment and Geography

Topography: The Marshall Islands consist of two parallel atoll chains. The chains stretch out over 1,287 kilometers (800 miles). The northeastern chain is called Ratak, or Sunrise, and includes the Mili, Majuro, Maloelap, Wotje and Likeiep atolls. The southwestern chain is called Ralik, or Sunset, and contains the Jaluit, Ailinglaplap, Kwajalein, Rongelap, Bikini, Enewetak and other atolls. The Kwajalein Atoll is the largest in the world.

The atolls are made of coral and form C-shaped lagoons. White beaches lie along the blue lagoons, and coral reefs are just offshore. The highest point in the low-lying Marshall Islands is on Likiep, ten meters (thirty-three feet) above sea level. The average height is two meters (seven feet) above sea level. The country's total coastline measures 370.4 kilometers (230 miles).

The capital, Majuro, is also called DUD (Darrit, Uliga, Delap). The city is actually built on three islands in the Majuro Atoll that are connected by a road.

Natural Resources: The Marshall Islands' most important natural resource is the ocean that surrounds the country. The diverse marine life draws tourists as well as fishing fleets from around the world. Minerals such as cobalt and manganese have been discovered in the seabed. In 2014, the Marshallese government formed the Interim National Seabed Minerals Management Board to develop policy and procedure for exploiting these minerals.

One of the biggest environmental problems facing the Marshall Islands is the radioactive contamination of the atolls where the United States has conducted nuclear testing. Rising sea levels threaten the country as well. In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified the Marshall Islands, along with Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Maldives, as being at disproportionately higher risk of adverse conditions as a result of global warming. With rising seas, Marshall Islanders are faced with either relocating or elevating their homes. Some solutions under consideration are building a new island or raising an existing one. Other environmental problems include a lack of potable water and pollution of lagoons due to household waste and fishing ships.

Plants & Animals: Vegetation flourishes on some of the islands, while others are mostly bare. Coconut palms are among the most common trees found throughout the country. Other typical plant life includes breadfruit trees, taro, pandanus, arrowroot, yams, banana trees, and cassava.

The marine life in the waters surrounding the Marshall Islands is diverse, including whales, dolphins, porpoises, hundreds of species of reef fish, and several species of marine turtles. Birds, including seabirds, are abundant, but the only native mammal is the Polynesian rat. There are also several types of lizards, coconut land crabs, and one snake species found on the islands.

Climate: The climate of the Marshall Islands is tropical, making for hot weather with cooling trade winds. Temperatures fluctuate little, hovering around 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit). The months from January to March are drier, and the summer months are characterized by calm seas and still winds.

The northern islands are typically cooler and drier than the southern islands. A wet season occurs from May to November. Average annual rainfall is 3,444 millimeters (136 inches).

By the 2020s, experts warned of the country facing increasing impacts of climate change, particularly in the form of rising sea levels.

Economy

The economy of the Marshall Islands relies on assistance from the United States. The two countries are linked by the Amended Compact of Free Association. Under this agreement, the United States will provide about US$1.5 billion total in direct financial aid through 2024, when a trust fund will take over payments.

In 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) was estimated at US$263.507 million, or US$6,800 per capita.

Overseas workers make a significant contribution to the economy of the Marshall Islands. The Compact of Free Association allows Marshallese to join the United States military, and many do.

Industry: Industry in the Marshall Islands is limited to tuna and copra processing and handicrafts manufacture. The Office of Commerce and Investments has begun promoting opportunities to invest in aquaculture in the lagoons, such as clam, pearl, oyster, and coral farms. In addition, the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority sells fishing rights to other countries, primarily the United States, China, Korea, Japan, and a number of other Pacific island nations.

The United States' Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, a missile test range on Kwajalein Atoll, contributes heavily to the local economy, paying millions in annual rent. It is also the second-largest employer in the country, after the government.

Agriculture: Much of the Marshall Islands' agriculture is done at the subsistence level. According to a 2018 estimate, 50.7 percent of the islands' land is agricultural, with 31.2 percent given over to permanent crops and 11.7 percent to pasture. Coconuts and breadfruit are the primary commercial crops. Other important agricultural products include tomatoes, melons, and taro. Livestock includes pigs and poultry.

Tourism: The Marshall Islands are renowned among tourists for the excellent diving and sport fishing available in the surrounding waters. The abundant marine life and the plethora of shipwrecks bring adventurous divers from around the world to the country.

Government

British captain John Marshall mapped the Marshall Islands in 1788, providing them with their English name. After being controlled by Germany and Japan, the Marshall Islands became part of the United States' Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. The United States used the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls for nuclear testing until 1958.

On July 12, 1978, the Marshallese voted for independence from the trust territory. A constitution was approved, and a government was installed on May 1, 1979.

In 1986, the United States and the Marshall Islands entered into a Compact of Free Association that gave the islands approximately US$1 billion over fifteen years, along with compensation for the effects of nuclear testing. The United States is also responsible for the islands' defense. In May 2004, the agreement was amended, renewing the terms, and a 2023 renewal agreement extended it further.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a mixed presidential-parliamentary system. The executive branch includes the president, who is both chief of state and head of government. The president is elected from the ranks of the National Parliament, or Nitijela, and the executive cabinet is chosen by the president from its members.

The bicameral legislature consists of the thirty-three-member Nitijela and the twelve-member Council of Iroij. Members of the Nitijela are elected by popular vote to four-year terms. The members of the Council of Iroij are tribal chiefs who advise the president's cabinet.

The highest court of the judicial branch is the Supreme Court, which presides over the High Court, the District Courts, the Community Courts, and the Traditional Rights Court, which decides land disputes.

Fun Facts

• The Marshall Islands is called the Pearl of the Pacific because the islands resemble two strings of pearls.
• Spanish explorer Alvaro de Saavedra was the first European to sight the Marshall Islands.
• The traditional Marshallese greeting "Yokwe yuk" means "Love to you."
• The Marshall Islands boasts the largest shark preserve of anywhere in the world. Sharks have traditionally been respected in Marshallese culture.
• By 2023, an initiative to supply filtration systems led to the entire country's access to clean water.

Bibliography

"The Legacy of US Nuclear Testing and Radiation Exposure in the Marshall Islands." US Embassy in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, US Dept. of State, 2012, mh.usembassy.gov/the-legacy-of-u-s-nuclear-testing-and-radiation-exposure-in-the-marshall-islands/. Accessed 27 July 2016.

"Marshall Islands." Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, www.healthdata.org/marshall-islands. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.

"Marshall Islands." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/marshall-islands/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports 2022, United Nations Development Programme, 13th March 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.