Marshall Islands (2005) | Jersey (2003) | |
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 (British crown dependency) |
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: 17.8% (male 8,292; female 7,744)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 30,178; female 30,410) 65 years and over: 15% (male 5,858; female 7,674) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens | potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products |
Airports | 15 (2004 est.) | 1 (2002) |
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 (2002) |
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: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Washington, DC | about 0.7 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 hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network. | The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
Birth rate | 33.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 10.44 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $42 million
expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1999) |
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | Majuro | Saint Helier |
Climate | tropical; hot and humid; wet season from May to November; islands border typhoon belt | temperate; mild winters and cool summers |
Coastline | 370.4 km | 70 km |
Constitution | 1 May 1979 | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
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: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey |
Currency | - | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound |
Death rate | 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $86.5 million (FY99/00 est.) | none |
Dependency status | - | British crown dependency |
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 (British crown dependency) |
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 (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | claims US territory of Wake Island | none |
Economic aid - recipient | more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002 | none |
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. | The economy is based largely on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. |
Electricity - imports | - | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m |
Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels | NA |
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 | UK and Norman-French descent |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is the legal tender | Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound |
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)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995) cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $9 million f.o.b. (2000) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish | light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles |
Exports - partners | US, Japan, Australia, China (2000) | UK |
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 | white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield holding the three lions of England in yellow |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 14%
industry: 16% services: 70% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2% services: 93% (1996) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 9 00 N, 168 00 E | 49 15 N, 2 10 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 | largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier |
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) |
total: 577 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $54 million f.o.b. (2000) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2000) | UK |
Independence | 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls | tourism, banking and finance, dairy |
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: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2001 est.) | 4.7% (1998) |
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 | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; High Court | Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff) |
Labor force | 28,700 (1996 est.) | 57,050 (1996) |
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: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
Legal system | based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court |
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 Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 52 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 70.01 years
male: 68.05 years female: 72.06 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 78.93 years
male: 76.48 years female: 81.57 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% 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 | Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 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) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
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) | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
Nationality | noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese |
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
Natural hazards | infrequent typhoons | NA |
Natural resources | coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals | arable land |
Net migration rate | -5.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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] | none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 59,071 (July 2005 est.) | 90,156 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.27% (2005 est.) | 0.4% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Majuro | Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier |
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 NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
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) | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian |
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.) |
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA years of age; universal adult |
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: NA
domestic: NA international: 3 submarine cables |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4,500 (2003) | 65,500 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 600 (2002) | 4,400 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (both are US military stations) (2002) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | low coral limestone and sand islands | gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast |
Total fertility rate | 3.93 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.57 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 30.9% (1999 est.) | 0.7% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |