Compare Marshall Islands (2005) - Christmas Island (2008)

Compare Marshall Islands (2005) z Christmas Island (2008)

	Marshall Islands (2005)	Christmas Island (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 (territory of Australia)
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.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products	coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens	NA
Airports	15 (2004 est.)	1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)	-
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: 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 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.	Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began 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	33.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	NA
Budget	revenues: $42 million expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1999)	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Capital	Majuro	name: The Settlement geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot and humid; wet season from May to November; islands border typhoon belt	tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline	370.4 km	138.9 km
Constitution	1 May 1979	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
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
Death rate	4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	NA
Debt - external	$86.5 million (FY99/00 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Diplomatic representation from the US	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	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	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, 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.	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, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future.
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; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels	loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining
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	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates	the US dollar is the legal tender	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
Executive branch	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%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports	$9 million f.o.b. (2000)	$NA
Exports - commodities	copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish	phosphate
Exports - partners	US, Japan, Australia, China (2000)	Australia, NZ (2006)
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	territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island note: the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
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	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: 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)	$NA
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco	consumer goods
Imports - partners	US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2000)	principally Australia (2006)
Independence	21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)	none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	-
Industries	copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls	tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
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.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA
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	none
Irrigated land	0 sq km	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; High Court	Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	28,700 (1996 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 21.4%, industry 20.9%, services 57.7%	-
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 38.89% other: 44.44% (2001)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
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	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 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 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 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 70.01 years male: 68.05 years female: 72.06 years (2005 est.)	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999)	NA
Location	Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references	Oceania	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing 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 US	defense is the responsibility of Australia
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)	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality	noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese	noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards	infrequent typhoons	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources	coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals	phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate	-5.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	NA
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	59,071 (July 2005 est.)	1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	-
Population growth rate	2.27% (2005 est.)	0% (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 2, shortwave 0 (2006)
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)	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: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	NA
Suffrage	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: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2001)	general assessment: service provided by the Australian network domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use	4,500 (2003)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	600 (2002)	-
Television broadcast stations	2 (both are US military stations) (2002)	0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)
Terrain	low coral limestone and sand islands	steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate	3.93 children born/woman (2005 est.)	NA
Unemployment rate	30.9% (1999 est.)	-

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