Marshall Islands

Official nameRepublic of the Marshall Islands
Name in local languageAolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ (mh) ; Republic of the Marshall Islands (en)
ContinentOceania
SubcontinentOceania
Population (ranking: 221e)55,663 inhabitants (2019)
Population growth0.40 % / year
Area182 km²
Density305.84 inhabitants / km²
GDP (ranking: 230e)0.212 billions $USD (2018)
GDP/capita (ranking)3,621 $USD (2018)
GDP growth2.50 % / year (2018)
Life expectancy (ranking)73.90 years (2018)
Birth rate26.70 ‰ (2016)
Fertility rate4.10 children / woman (2016)
Death rate (ranking)3.70 ‰ (2016)
Infant mortality rate (ranking)20.00 ‰ (2016)
Literacy rate98.46 % (2015)
Official languagesMarshallese, English
CurrencyUnited States dollar ($ USD)
HDI (ranking: 156e)0.698 / 1 (2018)
EPI (ranking)0.00 (2018)
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
Head of StatePresident Hilda Heine
National Day1 May (Constitution's Day)
ISO CodesMH, MHL
DemonymMarshallese
Tourists (ranking)6,000 people (2017)
Marshall – petite

The Marshall Islands is a state of Oceania in the Micronesian Archipelago, east of the Carolinian Islands, north of the Gilbert Islands and south of Wake. It is made up of volcanic islands and coral atolls, and covers approximately 1,942,000km2 of territorial waters. There are 29 atolls, which are not all inhabited, and about 1225 islands in total. He has been independent since 1990. The country has no army, and has entrusted his defense to the United States.

Marshall - atoll
Marshall – atoll

He became known throughout the world as a nuclear test site (overhead and underground) of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, including the famous Bikini atoll. Since then, this atoll is uninhabitable, and will remain so for about 25,000 years, because of the radioactive pollution of repeated nuclear tests, both air and submarine.

Marshall - Bikini : bombe nucléaire
Marshall – Bikini : bombe nucléaire

The country lives mainly from fishing and agriculture, tourism is not yet developed. But it is one of the axes of development envisaged in the next years. However, the lack of infrastructure hinders this ambition.

Marshall - Majuro
Marshall – Majuro
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Urban areas (2017)
Urban areasPopulation
Dalap-Uliga-Darrit20,711 inhabitants
See all urban areas
See also