Background: 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.

Area
Total: 181.3 km²
Land: 181.3 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Comparative note: Includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 370.4 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt

Terrain: Low coral limestone and sand islands

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 60%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 40%

Irrigated land: NA

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups: Micronesian

Languages: English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Religions: Christian (mostly Protestant)

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water
Current issues Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements note: Two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Eniwetak are former U.S. nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a U.S. missile test range

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.81 years (1996 est.), 63.49 years (1995 est.)
Male: 62.25 years 91,996 est.), 61.94 years (1995 est.)
Female: 65.45 years (1996 est.), 65.11 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1980)
Total population: 93%
Male: 100%
Female: 88%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Conventional short form: Marshall Islands
Former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Government type: Constitutional government in free association with the U.S.; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986

Capital: Majuro

Administrative divisions: None

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Amata KABUA (since NA 1979) was elected for a four-year term by the Nitijela from among its own members; election last held 20 November 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results_President Amata KABUA was reelected
Cabinet: Cabinet; president selects from the parliament

Legislative branch: Unicameral Parliament (Nitijela):Elections last held 20 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1999; results_percent of vote NA; seats_(33 total) seats by party NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Flag 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

Economy 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. The government is drafting economic reforms designed to increase revenue and compensate for reductions in US Government grants_in 1994, the US Government provided grants of $50 million, equal to 55% of the Marshall Islands' GDP. About 25% of the government's 1995/96 budget is devoted to debt repayment.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture products: Coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, pigs, chickens

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate NA

Labor force: 4,800 (1986)
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 16% (1991 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $67.2 million (FY94/95 est.), $106 million (1993)
Expenditures: $79.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.), $128.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1993)

Fiscal year: 1 October_30 September

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $170 million (1994)

Exchange rates: U.S. currency is used

Electricity
Capacity: 42,000 kW
Production: 80 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,840 kWh (1990)

Telephone system: 800 telephones (1988 est.)
Domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes)
International: 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations; U.S. Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Airports: 16
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 6
Under 914 m: 5

Merchant marine
Total: 78 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,068,782 GRT/5,073,125 DWT
Ships by type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 17, oil tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1995 est.)