Geography

The Marshall Islands are a part of the Pacific island group known as Micronesia. They are scattered over about 770,000 square miles (2,000,000 square kilometers) of the Pacific. The country's nearest neighbors are Wake Island to the north, Kiribati and Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west.

The islands are actually coral deposits on the tops of underwater volcanoes that rise from the ocean floor. None of the islands rises more than 20 feet (6 meters) above sea level when the tide is high. Despite the large number of islands, the country has a total land area of only 70 square miles (181 square kilometers). Kwajalein is the largest atoll in the Marshall Islands and in the world. Its islets cover a land area of only about 6 square miles (16 square kilometers) but enclose a 665-square-mile (1,722-square-kilometer) lagoon.

The climate of the Marshall Islands is tropical. Temperatures are hot and humidity is high throughout the year. The southern islands receive the heaviest rainfall.

Plants and animals

The soil of the Marshall Islands is sandy and not very fertile. Palm and breadfruit trees are the main plant life. The islands of the Ratak chain generally have more trees than those of the Ralik. The most notable animal life of the islands is found in the surrounding waters. Among the fish and other sea creatures are marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi, dolphins, octopuses, and turtles.

People and culture

The people of the Marshall Islands are Micronesians—one of the three main groups of Pacific peoples. The official languages are Marshallese and English. Christianity is the main religion. More than half of the population lives on Majuro and Kwajalein atolls because of the availability of employment in their urban centers. The rest of the people live in traditional villages on the outer islands.

Economy

The economy of the Marshall Islands depends heavily on money received from the United States. The United States leases land on Kwajalein Atoll as a missile-testing range. The range is a major employer for the people of the atoll. Other people in urban areas work for the government or in tourism.

On the outer islands, people work mostly in farming or fishing. Most farmers grow only enough food to feed themselves and their families. The main crops include coconut, cassava, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit. Pigs and chickens are raised. The main exports are fish, coconut oil, and shells. The major imports include food, machinery, manufactured goods, and fuels.

History

The first settlers of the Marshall Islands were Micronesians who arrived more than 2,000 years ago. The first European to see the islands was the Spanish navigator Álvaro Saavedra in 1529. The islands were named after John Marshall, a British sea captain who explored them in 1788. Germany took control of the islands in 1886, but Japan seized them in 1914.

The Marshall Islands were captured by the United States during World War II (1939–45). In 1947 they were made part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which was administered by the United States under supervision of the United Nations. From 1946 to 1958 the United States used the Bikini and Enewetak atolls as testing grounds for nuclear weapons. The tests left the Bikini Atoll so contaminated with radiation that the people living on the islands had to abandon them in the 1970s.

The Marshall Islands approved a constitution and formed its own government in 1979. In 1982 the country signed an agreement with the United States called the Compact of Free Association. The agreement came into effect in 1986, making the Marshall Islands fully self governing. It also made the United States responsible for defending the islands and for providing financial aid to them. In return, the United States was allowed to use its missile-testing range on Kwajalein Atoll. The United Nations approved the agreement in 1990, officially ending the Marshall Islands' trust territory status. A year later the islands joined the United Nations. Population (2001 estimate), 52,300.