Statistical information Marshall Islands 1992

Marshall Islands in the World
top of pageBackground: After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the islands between 1947 and 1962.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 181.3 km²
Land:181.3 km²; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetok, and
Kwajalein
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 370.4 km
Maritime claimsContiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
ElevationNatural 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%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 50,004 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective -
Marshallese
Ethnic groups: almost entirely Micronesian
Languages: English universally spoken and is the official language; two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
Religions: predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 47 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
Current issues 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
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 52 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 93% (male 100%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
Capital: Majuro
Administrative divisions: none
Dependent areasIndependence:
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands)
National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
Constitution: 1 May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
Parliament: last held 18 November 1991 (next to be held November 1995); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (33 total)
President:last held 6 January 1992 (next to be held NA; results -
President Amata KABUA was reelected
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Nitijela (parliament)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL; Chancery at 2,433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 234-5,414
US: Ambassador William BODDE, Jr.; Embassy at NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96,960-1379); telephone (011) 692-4,011; FAX (011) 692-4,012
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
Industries: copra, fish, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearls; offshore banking (embryonic)
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%
Labor force: 4,800 (1986)
Organized labor: none
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985)
Commodoties: copra, copra oil, agricultural products, handicrafts
Partners: NA
Imports: $29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, beverages, building materials
Partners: NA
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: US currency is used
top of pageElectricityProduction: 42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per capita (1990)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresMilitary and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 17 total, 16 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,312
GRT/4,630,172 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container, 9 petroleum tanker, 18 bulk carrier, 2 combination ore/oil; note - a flag of convenience registry
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs