Marshall Islands: Background & Geography

Introduction Marshall Islands
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.
Geography Marshall Islands
Location:
 Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates:
 9 00 N, 168 00 E
Map references:
 Oceania
Area:
 total: 181.3 sq km
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik
water: 0 sq km
land: 181.3 sq km
Area - comparative:
 about the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
 0 km
Coastline:
 370.4 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM
Climate:
 tropical; hot and humid; wet season from May to November; islands border typhoon belt
Terrain:
 low coral limestone and sand islands
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
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 sq km
Natural hazards:
 infrequent typhoons
Environment - current issues:
 inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
 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

See Also: