Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands, referred to in Marshallese as Ṃajeḷ, officially known as the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ), is a sovereign island nation situated in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Located west of the International Date Line and north of the equator, the Marshall Islands is a distinctive nation with a rich history and unique geographical characteristics. The nation consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands, categorized into two island chains: Ratak in the east and Ralik in the west. Notably, 97.87% of the nation’s territory consists of water, rendering it the sovereign state with the highest ratio of water to land.

The Marshall Islands has maritime boundaries with multiple territories and nations: Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. Majuro, the capital and largest city, accommodates about fifty percent of the nation’s population, functioning as the political and economic center.

The history of the Marshall Islands is fundamentally anchored in the Austronesian migration that arrived in the islands as early as the 2nd millennium BC. The initial immigrants introduced Southeast Asian crops such as coconuts, huge swamp taro, and breadfruit, as well as domesticated poultry, rendering the islands permanently habitable. Several Spanish expeditions reached the islands in the mid-16th century; however, Spanish galleons generally navigated a Pacific path further north, thus circumventing the Marshalls.

The islands were named in honor of British captain John Marshall, who conducted an exploration of the area in 1788. In the 1850s, American Protestant missionaries and Western commercial interests commenced their arrival, signifying the onset of considerable foreign influence. In the 1870s and 1880s, German copra traders predominated the economy, resulting in the German Empire’s annexation of the Marshalls as a protectorate in 1885. During World War I, the Empire of Japan invaded the islands, which subsequently formed part of the Japanese South Seas Mandate following the war. Following World War II, the United States assumed authority and governed the islands as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. From 1946 to 1958, the United States executed 67 nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll and Enewetak Atoll, resulting in a profound impact on the islands.

The pursuit of self-governance commenced with the establishment of the Congress of Micronesia in 1965, intended to enhance autonomy for Pacific islands. In May 1979, the United States acknowledged the constitution of the Marshall Islands and its president, Amata Kabua, so conferring independence upon the nation. Complete sovereignty was attained under the Compact of Free Association with the United States, which offered defense, financial support, and access to U.S. institutions such as the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Postal Service. The Marshall Islands has been a member of the Pacific Community since 1983 and became a United Nations member in 1991.

The Marshall Islands’ economy is predominantly service-oriented, supplemented by fishing and agriculture, with substantial financial assistance from the United States forming a considerable part of its GDP. The financial assistance provided by the Compact of Free Association, originally scheduled to conclude in 2023, has been prolonged for a further 20 years. The nation employs the United States dollar as its currency and declared intentions in 2018 to implement a new cryptocurrency as legal money.

The population of the Marshall Islands primarily consists of individuals of Marshallese heritage, alongside minor immigrant communities from the United States, China, the Philippines, and other Pacific islands. Marshallese and English serve as the official languages, embodying the nation’s cultural legacy and historical connections. Religion is integral to culture, with almost the whole populace adhering to some type of belief system. The predominant affiliations are with the United Church of Christ – Congregational in the Marshall Islands or the Assemblies of God.