Compare Marshall Islands (2003) - British Virgin Islands (2008)

Compare Marshall Islands (2003) z British Virgin Islands (2008)

	Marshall Islands (2003)	British Virgin Islands (2008)

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 (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure	0-14 years: 39.1% (male 11,233; female 10,819) 15-64 years: 58.2% (male 16,857; female 16,003) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 726; female 791) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337) 15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens	fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports	15 (2002)	3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Area	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	total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Area - comparative	about the size of Washington, DC	about 0.9 times 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 atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands have been home to the US Army Base Kwajalein (USAKA) since 1964.	First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate	34.18 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $42 million expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)	revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
Capital	Majuro	name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt	subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline	370.4 km	80 km
Constitution	1 May 1979	13 June 2007
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: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Currency	US dollar (USD)	-
Death rate	5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$86.5 million (FY 99/00 est.)	$36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. SENKO 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 (overseas territory of the UK)
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 (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	claims US territory of Wake Island	none
Economic aid - recipient	more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002	$NA
Economy - overview	US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is primarily subsistence and 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 Compact of Free Association, the US has provided more than $1 billion in aid since 1986. Negotiations have continued for an extended agreement. 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.	The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption	-	41.85 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	-	45 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 99% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 1% (solar)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels	limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
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	black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed)
Exchange rates	the US dollar is the legal tender	the US dollar is used
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 Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
Exports	$9 million f.o.b. (2000)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish	rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners	US, Japan, Australia, China (2000)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	1 April - 31 March
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	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP	purchasing power parity - $115 million (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 14% industry: 16% services: 70% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2001 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	1% (2001 est.)	1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	9 00 N, 168 00 E	18 30 N, 64 30 W
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	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Highways	total: NA 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%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports	$54 million f.o.b. (2000)	604.3 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco	building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners	US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2000)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Independence	21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	copra, fish, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls	tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate	total: 31.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 35.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2% (2001 est.)	2% (2005)
International organization participation	ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, ITU, OPCW (signatory), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2002)	-
Irrigated land	0 sq km	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; High Court	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force	28,698	12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 21.4%, industry 20.9%, services 57.7%	agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4% (2005)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 0% other: 83.33% (1998 est.)	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages	English (widely spoken as a second language, both English and Marshallese are official languages), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese	English (official)
Legal system	based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws	English law
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	unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.39 years male: 67.49 years female: 71.4 years (2003 est.)	total population: 76.86 years male: 75.71 years female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia	Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Oceania	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 342 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 14,471,690 GRT/23,802,896 DWT ships by type: bulk 86, cargo 18, chemical tanker 31, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 7, container 69, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 106, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 4 note: the ship's register of the Marshall Islands is a flag of convenience register since essentially none of the vessels on it is owned domestically; includes the following foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: China 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 9, Germany 70, Greece 54, Hong Kong 2, Japan 4, Monaco 8, Netherlands 8, UK 3, US 87, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)	-
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the US	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	no regular military forces; Police Force	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%	-
National holiday	Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)	Territory Day, 1 July (1956)
Nationality	noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese	noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards	infrequent typhoons	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources	coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals	NEGL
Net migration rate	-6.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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]	Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	56,429 (July 2003 est.)	23,552 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.3% (2003 est.)	1.923% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Majuro	-
Radio broadcast stations	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)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	Christian (mostly Protestant)	Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)
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: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2001)	general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use	4,186 (2001)	11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	489 (2001)	8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	2 (both are US military stations) (2002)	1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
Terrain	low coral limestone and sand islands	coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate	4.12 children born/woman (2003 est.)	1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	30.9% (1999 est.)	3.6% (1997)
Waterways	none	-

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