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 atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands have been home to the US Army Base Kwajalein (USAKA) since 1964.

Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N 168 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 370.4 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: coconut products marine products deep seabed minerals

Land use
Arable land: 16.67%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 83.33% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km²

Natural hazards: infrequent typhoons

Geography
Note: two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1152 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: 73,630 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 3.89% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: Micronesian

Languages: English (widely spoken as a second language both English and Marshallese are official languages) two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family Japanese

Religions: Christian (mostly Protestant)

Age structure
0-14 years: 49.1% (male 18,443; female 17,704)
15-64 years: 48.9% (male 18,347; female 17,628)
65 years and over: 2% (male 720; female 788) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.89% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 44.98 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.07 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 38.68 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.18 years
Female: 68.09 years (2002 est.)
Male: 64.35 years

Total fertility rate: 6.49 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.7%
Male: 93.6%
Female: 93.7% (1999)

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: 33 municipalities; Ailinginae Ailinglaplap Ailuk Arno Aur Bikar Bikini Bokak Ebon Enewetak Erikub Jabat Jaluit Jemo Kili Kwajalein Lae Lib Likiep Majuro Maloelap Mejit Mili Namorik Namu Rongelap Rongrik Toke Ujae Ujelang Utirik Wotho Wotje

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

National holiday: Constitution Day 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 Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); 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 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)
Election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)
Note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders: traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters formal platforms or party structures; the following two 'groupings' have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Kabua Party [Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]

International organization participation: ACP AsDB ESCAP FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO IDA IFC IMF IMO Interpol ITU OPCW (signatory) 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 consulates general: Honolulu
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-3,236
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-5,414
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. SENKO
From the us embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96,960-1379
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: US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is primarily subsistence and is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts tuna processing and copra. The tourist industry now a small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the labor force remains the best hope for future added income. The islands have few natural resources and imports far exceed exports. Under the terms of the Compact of Free Association the US provides roughly $39 million in annual aid. Negotiations have continued for an extended agreement. Government downsizing drought a drop in construction the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties and less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.

Real gdp growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1600 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 14%
Industry: 16%
Services: 70% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts tomatoes melons taro breadfruit fruits; pigs chickens

Industries: copra fish tourism craft items from shell wood and pearls

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 28,698
By occupation agriculture: 21%
By occupation industry: 21%
By occupation services: 58%

Unemployment rate: 30.9% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $42 million
Expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.9% (1999 est.)

Exports: $9 million f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: copra cake coconut oil handicrafts
Partners: US Japan Australia

Imports: $54 million f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and equipment fuels beverages and tobacco
Partners: US Japan Australia NZ Singapore Fiji China Philippines

Debt external: $86.5 million

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production by source fossil fuel: 99%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 1% (solar)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4,186 (2001)
Mobile cellular: 489 (2001)

Telephone system
General assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
Domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other 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 (2001)

Internet
Country code: .mh
Service providers isps: 1 (2002)
Users: 900 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 17 (2001)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 270 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,807,839 GRT/19,332,014 DWT
Note: the ship's register of the Marshall Islands is a flag of convenience register since essentially none of the vessels on it is owned domestically, includes the following foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: China 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 9, Germany 70, Greece 54, Hong Kong 2, Japan 4, Monaco 8, Netherlands 8, Norway 10, Poland 16, Singapore 1, Turkey 6, United Kingdom 3, United States 87, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)
Ships by type: bulk 82, cargo 14, chemical tanker 24, combination ore/oil 4, container 46, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 88, vehicle carrier 3

Disputes international: claims US territory of Wake Island