Marshall Islands (2001) | Christmas Island (2004) | |
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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 | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
49.29% (male 17,808; female 17,101) 15-64 years: 48.61% (male 17,573; female 16,853) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 707; female 780) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, tomatoes, melons, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens | NA |
Airports | 16 (2000 est.) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
12 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
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Area | total:
181.3 sq km land: 181.3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, and Kwajalein |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Washington, DC | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
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 islands between 1947 and 1962. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
Birth rate | 45.07 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$80.1 million expenditures: $77.4 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (FY95/96 est.) |
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
Capital | Majuro | The Settlement |
Climate | wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt | tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April |
Coastline | 370.4 km | 80 km |
Constitution | 1 May 1979 | NA |
Country name | conventional long form:
Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | 6.23 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $125 million (FY96/97 est.) | NA |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Joan M. PLAISTED 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 |
none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | claims US territory of Wake Island | none |
Economic aid - recipient | approximately $65 million annually from the US | NA |
Economy - overview | US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish 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 Compact of Free Association, the US provides roughly $65 million in annual aid. Negotiations were underway in 1999 for an extended agreement. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, and the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties caused GDP to fall in 1996-98. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in mid-2004 |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
- |
Ethnic groups | Micronesian | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); 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 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $28 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) | NA |
Exports - commodities | fish, coconut oil, trochus shells | phosphate |
Exports - partners | US, Japan, Australia | Australia, NZ |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $105 million (1998 est.), supplemented by approximately $65 million annual US aid | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
15% industry: 13% services: 72% (1995) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,670 (1998 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - real growth rate | -5% (1998 est.) | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 9 00 N, 168 00 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
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 | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
Highways | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks |
total: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | $58 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) | NA |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco | consumer goods |
Imports - partners | US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Guam, Singapore | principally Australia |
Independence | 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA |
Industries | copra, fish, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls, offshore banking (embryonic) | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
Infant mortality rate | 39.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5% (1997) | NA |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; High Court | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | NA | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 60% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 40% |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001) |
Languages | English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
Legal system | based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) 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 |
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
65.84 years male: 64.04 years female: 67.73 years (2001 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 100% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
NA |
Location | Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total:
212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,768,406 GRT/16,242,699 DWT ships by type: bulk 63, cargo 9, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 29, liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 87, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1, US 6 (2000 est.) |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
Military branches | no regular military forces (a coast guard may be established); Police Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 1 May (1979) | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | noun:
Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese |
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
Natural hazards | occasional typhoons | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals | phosphate, beaches |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
People - note | - | The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1508 as of the 2001 Census |
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] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 70,822 (July 2001 est.) | 396 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 3.88% (2001 est.) | -9% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Majuro | Flying Fish Cove |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Christian (mostly Protestant) | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
NA (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
telex services 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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3,000 (1996) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 365 (1996) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (of which two are US military stations) (1997) | NA |
Terrain | low coral limestone and sand islands | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 6.55 children born/woman (2001 est.) | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 16% (1991 est.) | NA |
Waterways | none | - |