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.

Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 168 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 181.3 km²
Land: 181.3 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, and Kwajalein
Comparative: about the size of Washington, DC

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 from 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: phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals

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

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons

Geography
Note: two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range

Population: 60,652 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 3.85% (1997 est.)

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 50% (male 15,550; female 14,926)
15-64 years: 48% (male 14,732; female 14,032)
65 years and over: 2% (male 662; female 750) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.85% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 45.54 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 7.07 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water

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
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 45.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.14 years
Male: 62.57 years
Female: 65.79 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.78 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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

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 US; 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: President Imata KABUA (since 14 January 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Imata KABUA (since 14 January 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of Parliament
Elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own members for a four-year term; election last held 14 January 1997 (next to be held NA January 2000); note - Imata KABUA elected to succeed and complete the term of the late President Amata KABUA
Election results: Imata KABUA elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 63%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 14 January 1997 (next to be held NA 2000; note - new elections will be held upon the completion of the term of the late President Amata KABUA)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; High Court

International organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM
In the us chancery: 2,433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-5,414
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-3,236
In the us consulates general: Honolulu
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joan M. PLAISTED
From the us embassy: Oceanside, Long Island, Majuro
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96,960-1379; Majuro, 20,521-4,380 (pouch)
From the us telephone: [692] 247-4,011
From the us FAX: [692] 247-4,012

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. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange, employs about 10% of the labor force, and remains the best hope for future added income. 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 FY95/96 budget was devoted to debt repayment. In 1996, efforts to stabilize the economy included a 27% reduction in the government's work force and a 10% cut in the budget.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.5% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,680 (1995 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16%
Industry: 14%
Services: 70% (1994)

Agriculture products: coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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

Unemployment rate: 16% (1991 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $67.2 million
Expenditures: $79.6 million, including capital expenditures of $21.6 million (FY94/95 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Exports
Total value: $21.3 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Commodities: fish, coconut oil, live animals, trochus shells
Partners: US, Japan, Australia

Imports
Total value: $69.9 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco
Partners: US, Japan, Australia

Debt external: $170 million (1994)

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Electricity
Capacity: 16,000 kW (1994)
Production: 57 million kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: NA kWh

Telephones: 800 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: telex services
Domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
International: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Airports: 16 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (1996 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine
Total: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,040,788 GRT/6,780,092 DWT
Ships by type: bulk carrier 44, cargo 5, combination ore/oil 1, container 21, oil tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1996 est.)

Disputes international: claims US territory of Wake Island