Marshall Islands

constitutional government in free association with the US

Marshall Islands as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMajuro
Area181.3 km2
1990

Every edition of Marshall Islands

Populationas each edition published it
43,417 people July 1990 · 82,011 in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 3.87% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.3 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 62.79 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.9 children per woman 1990 · 2.62 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
43 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 20.1 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $1,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 6% in 1994

Geography

14 fields

Land useshare of 181.3 km2

arable land 0%permanent crops 60%forest and woodland 0%other 40%meadows and pastures 0% in all
Total area
181.3km2
land area: 181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and KwajaleinComparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Coastline
370.4km
land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

claims US-administered Wake Island

Climate

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

Terrain

low coral limestone and sand islands

Natural resources

phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals

Environment

occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands

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

People

14 fields
Population
43,417
(July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
39Death
5
Labor force
4,800
(1986)

Net migration rate

- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

43 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

70 years male, 75 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

5.9 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Marshallese; adjective--Marshallese

Ethnic divisions

almost entirely Micronesian

Religion

predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant

Language

  • English universally spoken and is the official language;
  • two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family;
  • Japanese

Government

Constitutional government in free association with the US

17 fields

Long-form name

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Type

constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986

Capital

Majuro

Independence

21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Constitution

1 May 1979

National holiday

Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (Nitijela)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Amata KABUA (since 1979)

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 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)

Member of

SPF, ESCAP (associate)

Diplomatic representation

  • Representative Wilfred I. KENDALL;
  • Representative Office at Suite 1004, 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006;
  • telephone (202) 223-4952;
  • US--Representative Samuel B. THOMSEN;
  • US Office at NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box 680, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960);
  • telephone 692-9-3348

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

Economy

Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$63million
per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)

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.

Budget

revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)

Exports

  • $2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985);
  • commodities--copra, copra oil, agricultural products, handicrafts;
  • partners--NA

Imports

  • $29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985);
  • commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, building materials;
  • partners--NA

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

12,000 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Aid

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

Currency

US currency is used

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Fiscal year

1 October-30 September

Communications

5 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 2bulk carrier; note--a flag of convenience registry 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 475,968 GRT/949,888 DWT

Airports, 5 total, 5 usable

permanent-surface runways
4runways 1,220-2,439 m
5

Highways

macadam and concrete roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks

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

Defense Forces

1 field

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Central Intelligence Agency. “Marshall Islands.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/marshall-islands/1990.

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