Marshall Islands
constitutional government in free association with the US
Marshall Islands as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 115 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of | the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea
25 fieldsLocation
Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea
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
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
arable land
0%
permanent crops
60%
meadows and pastures
0%
forest and woodland
0%
other
40%
current issues
inadequate supplies of safe drinking water
natural hazards
occasionally subject to typhoons
international agreements
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
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
People
21 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1994 est.)
total population
63.13 years
male
61.6 years
female
64.74 years (1994 est.)
noun
Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective
Marshallese
Languages
English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese
total population
93%
male
100%
female
88%
by occupation
NA
Government
Constitutional government in free association with the US
30 fieldsconventional long form
Republic of the Marshall Islands
conventional short form
Marshall Islands
former
Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Type
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
Legal system
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
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
Parliament (Nitijela)
- elections 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
Member of
AsDB, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, WHO
chief of mission
Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL
chancery
2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general
Honolulu and Los Angeles
chief of mission
Ambassador David C. FIELDS
embassy
NA address, Majuro
mailing address
P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379
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.
25 fieldsOverview
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.
revenues
$55 million
expenditures
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)
commodities
coconut oil, fish, live animals, trichus shells
partners
US, Japan, Australia
commodities
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, beverages and tobacco, fuels
partners
US, Japan, Australia
capacity
42,000 kW
production
80 million kWh
consumption per capita
1,840 kWh (1990)
Industries
- copra, fish, tourism;
- craft items from shell, wood, and pearls;
- offshore banking (embryonic)
recipient
under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually
Communications
12 fieldstotal
NA
note
paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Merchant marine
40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,255,348 GRT/4,351,997 DWT, bulk carrier 23, cargo 2, combination ore/oil 1, container 1, oil tanker 13
note
a flag of convenience registry
total
16
usable
16
with permanent-surface runways
4
with runways over 3,659 m
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
8
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
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Marshall Islands.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/marshall-islands/1994.