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Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ | |
| Compact of Free Association | |
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| Motto Jepilpilin ke ejukaan Accomplishment through Joint Effort | |
| Anthem Forever Marshall Islands | |
 | |
| Capital | Majuro (Delap) |
| Government | Presidential republic |
| President | |
| - From 2009 | Jurelang Zedkaia |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| History | |
| - May 1, 1979 | Autonomy |
| - October 21, 1986 | Compact of Free Association effective |
| - July 10, 1987 | Trust territory dissolved |
| - December 22, 1990 | Security Council ratifies termination |
| - June 30, 2004 | Compact of Free Association extended |
| Area | 181 km² |
| Population | |
| - 2009 | 68,000 |
| Density | 375.6/km² |
| GDP | 2009 (PPP) |
| - Total | US$ 0.1 billion |
| - Per capita | US$ 2,900 |
| Currency | United States dollar |
 Pacific Islands
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The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a presidential republic in Micronesia. Under the Compact of Free Association it has entered into a relationship as an associated state with the United States.
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.[1]
Economy
US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. The Marshall Islands received more than $1 billion in aid from the US from 1986-2002. 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 less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.[2]
President
- Jurelang Zedkaia (₩) (November 2, 2009 - )
Nation
Marshallese Polities
United States: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947-1987)- Empire of Japan: Mandate of the South Seas Islands (1920-1947)
