Marshall Islands

constitutional government in free association with the US

Marshall Islands as the 1992 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
1992

Every edition of Marshall Islands

Populationas each edition published it
50,004 people July 1992 · 43,417 in 1990
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
7 children per woman 1992 · 5.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
52 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 43 in 1990
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

13 fields
Total area
181.3km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Coastline
370.4km
land boundaries: noneContiguous zone: 24 nmExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land area

181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetok, and Kwajalein

Disputes

claims US territory of 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

Land use

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

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 Eniwetok 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
50,004
(July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
47Death
8Net migration
0
Labor force
4,800
(1986)
Literacy
93%
(male 100%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Infant mortality rate

52 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

61 years male, 64 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

7.0 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective - Marshallese

Ethnic divisions

almost entirely Micronesian

Religions

predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant

Languages

  • 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

18 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 Nitijela (parliament)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

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

Elections

President:
last held 6 January 1992 (next to be held NA; results - President Amata KABUA was reelected
Parliament:
  • last held 18 November 1991 (next to be held November 1995);
  • results - percent of vote NA;
  • seats - (33 total)

Member of

AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD

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 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379);
  • telephone (011) 692-4011;
  • 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

Economy

Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy.

16 fields

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.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)

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

42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Economic 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, 32 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 2container 1petroleum tanker 9bulk carrier 18combination ore/oil; note - a flag of convenience registry 232 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,312 GRT/4,630,172 DWT

Airports, 17 total, 16 usable

permanent-surface runways
4runways | 1,220-2,439 m
8

Highways

paved 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);
  • broadcast 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 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/marshall-islands/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →