Population: 59,071 (July
2005 est.)
Capital: Majuro
Languages: Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999
census)
English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese and English are official languages
Religions: Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other
Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)
Government: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association
entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Climate: tropical; hot and humid; wet
season from May to November; islands border typhoon belt
Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands
Geography: 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
Ethnic groups: Micronesian
Economy: US Government assistance is
the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, 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 Amended Compact of Free Association, the US will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands (RMI)
through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. 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.
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity -
$1,600 (2001 est.)
GDP real growth: 1% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30.9% (1999 est.)
Internet country code: .mh
Dial code: +692
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 hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan
Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.