Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Marshall Islands (2005)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Marshall Islands (2005)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)	Marshall Islands (2005)

Administrative divisions	-	33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik, Wotho, Wotje
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 38.2% (male 11,488/female 11,071) 15-64 years: 59.1% (male 17,887/female 17,023) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 771/female 831) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens
Airports	1 (2006)	15 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands	total: 181.3 sq km land: 181.3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik
Area - comparative	land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	about the size of Washington, DC
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	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.
Birth rate	-	33.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $42 million expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1999)
Capital	-	Majuro
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	tropical; hot and humid; wet season from May to November; islands border typhoon belt
Coastline	698 km	370.4 km
Constitution	-	1 May 1979
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Death rate	-	4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	-	$86.5 million (FY99/00 est.)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Greta N. MORRIS embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379 telephone: [692] 247-4011 FAX: [692] 247-4012
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236 consulate(s) general: Honolulu
Disputes - international	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain;	claims US territory of Wake Island
Economic aid - recipient	-	more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.	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.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	-
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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
Ethnic groups	-	Micronesian
Exchange rates	-	the US dollar is the legal tender
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own members for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held November 2007) election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100%
Exports	-	$9 million f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities	-	copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish
Exports - partners	-	US, Japan, Australia, China (2000)
Fiscal year	-	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 14% industry: 16% services: 70% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	1% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E	9 00 N, 168 00 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	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
Highways	-	total: 64.5 km paved: 64.5 km unpaved: NA km note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	-	$54 million f.o.b. (2000)
Imports - commodities	-	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco
Imports - partners	-	US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2000)
Independence	-	21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA
Industries	-	copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 29.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 33.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	-	ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Irrigated land	0 sq km	0 sq km
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court; High Court
Labor force	-	28,700 (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 21.4%, industry 20.9%, services 57.7%
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 38.89% other: 44.44% (2001)
Languages	-	Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese and English are official languages
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held not later than November 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 70.01 years male: 68.05 years female: 72.06 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999)
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references	Political Map of the World	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 540 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,954,092 GRT/28,176,762 DWT by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 83, cargo 47, chemical tanker 77, combination ore/oil 12, container 88, liquefied gas 16, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 192, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 462 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bermuda 1, Canada 4, Chile 2, Croatia 2, Cyprus 7, Denmark 2, Georgia 1, Germany 124, Greece 106, Hong Kong 7, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 5, Latvia 6, Monaco 9, Netherlands 4, New Zealand 1, Norway 21, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 2, Slovenia 2, Spain 1, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 1, Turkey 11, Ukraine 1, UAE 3, United Kingdom 15, United States 112) (2005)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches	-	no regular military forces; Marshall Islands Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	NA
National holiday	-	Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)
Nationality	-	noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese
Natural hazards	NA	infrequent typhoons
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals
Net migration rate	-	-5.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Kabua Party [Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)	59,071 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA
Population growth rate	-	2.27% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Majuro
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0 note: additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station on Kwajalein (2002)
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)
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	general assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	4,500 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	600 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	2 (both are US military stations) (2002)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)	low coral limestone and sand islands
Total fertility rate	-	3.93 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	30.9% (1999 est.)

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