Coor din ates: 9 °N 1 6 8°E Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Marshall Islands (Marshallese: Aolepān Aorōkin Majeļ),[note 1] is an island country near the equator in the Aolepān Aorōkin Majeļ Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date (Marshallese) Line. Geographically, the country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The country's population of 53,158 people (at the 2011 Census[5]) is spread out over 29 coral atolls,[2] comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets. Flag Seal The islands share maritime boundaries with the Motto: "Jepilpilin ke ejukaan" Federated States of Micronesia to the west, Wake Island "Accomplishment through joint effort" to the north,[note 2] Kiribati to the southeast, and Nauru Anthem: "Forever Marshall Islands! (English)" to the south. About 27 ,7 97 of the islanders (at the 2011 0:00 MENU Census) live on Majuro, which contains the capital.[2] Data from the United Nations indicates an estimated population in 2016 of 53,066. In 2016, 7 3.3% of the population were defined as being "urban". The UN also indicates a population density of 295 per km2 (7 65 people per mi2 ) and its projected 2020 population is 53,263.[6] Micronesian colonists reached the Marshall Islands using canoes circa 2nd millennium BC, with interisland navigation made possible using traditional stick charts. They eventually settled here.[7] Islands in the archipelago were first explored by Europeans in the 1520s, starting with Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese at the service of Spain, Juan Sebastián Elcano and Miguel de Saavedra. Spanish explorer Alonso de Salazar reported sighting an atoll in August 1526.[7] Other expeditions by Spanish and English ships followed. The islands derive their name from British explorer John Marshall, who visited in 17 88. The islands were historically known by the inhabitants as "jolet jen Anij" (Gifts from God).[8] Spain claimed the islands in 1592 and the European powers recognized its sovereignty over the islands in 187 4. They had been part of the Spanish East Indies formally since 1528. Later, Spain sold some of the islands Status Sovereign state in free to the German Empire in 1885, and they became part of association with the German New Guinea that year, run by the trading United States companies doing business in the islands, particularly the Capital Majuro[1] Jaluit Company.[7] In World War I the Empire of Japan and largest city 7°7′N 171°4′E occupied the Marshall Islands, which in 1920, the Official languages English League of Nations combined with other former German Marshallese territories to form the South Pacific Mandate. During Ethnic groups 92.1% Marshallese World War II, the United States took control of the [2] (2006 ) 5.9% Mixed Marshallese islands in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign in 2% Others 1944. Nuclear testing began in 1946 and concluded in 1958. Demonym Marshallese Government Unitary parliamentary The US government formed the Congress of Micronesia republic in 1965, a plan for increased self-governance of Pacific • President Hilda Heine islands. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 197 9 • Speaker Kenneth Kedi[3] provided independence to the Marshall Islands, whose Legislature Nitijela constitution and president (Amata Kabua) were formally recognized by the US. Full sovereignty or Self- Independence from the United States government was achieved in a Compact of Free • Self-government 1979 • Compact of Free October 21, 1986 Association with the United States. Marshall Islands has Association been a United Nations member state since 1991.[7] Area Politically, the Marshall Islands is a presidential republic • Total 181.43 km2 in free association with the United States, with the US (70.05 sq mi) (189th) providing defense, subsidies, and access to U.S.-based • Water (%) n/a (negligible) agencies such as the Federal Communications Population Commission and the United States Postal Service. With • 2016 estimate 53,066[4] (United few natural resources, the islands' wealth is based on a Nations) (203rd) service economy, as well as some fishing and agriculture; • 2011 census 53,158[5] aid from the United States represents a large percentage • Density 293.0/km2 of the islands' gross domestic product. The country uses (758.9/sq mi) (28th) the United States dollar as its currency. GDP (PPP) 2001 estimate • Total $115 million (220th) The majority of the citizens of the Republic of Marshall • Per capita $2,900a (195th) Islands, formed in 1982, are of Marshallese descent, Currency United States dollar though there are small numbers of immigrants from the (USD) United States, China, Philippines, and other Pacific Time zone MHT (UTC+12) islands. The two official languages are Marshallese, which is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian languages, and Date format MM/DD/YYYY English. Almost the entire population of the islands Drives on the right practices some religion, with three-quarters of the Calling code +692 country either following the United Church of Christ – ISO 3166 code MH Congregational in the Marshall Islands (UCCCMI) or the Assemblies of God. Internet TLD .mh a. 2005 estimate. Contents History Geography Shark sanctuary Territorial claim on Wake Island Climate Fauna Birds Marine Insects Demographics Religion Health Government Foreign affairs and defense Culture Economy Shipping Labour Taxation Foreign assistance Agriculture Industry Fishing Energy Education Transportation Media and communications See also Notes References Bibliography Further reading External links History Evidence suggests that around 3,000 years ago successive waves of human migrants from Southeast Asia spread across the Western Pacific populating its many small islands. The Marshall Islands were settled by Micronesians in the 2nd millennium BC. Little is known of the islands' early history. Early settlers traveled between the islands by canoe using traditional stick charts.[9] The Spanish explorer Alonso de Salazar landed there in 1526, and the archipelago came to be known as "Los Pintados" ("The Marshall Islanders sailing in traditional Painted (Ones)", possibly referring to the autochthonous people costume, c. 1899–1900. first found there), "Las Hermanas" ("The Sisters") and "Los Jardines" ("The Gardens") within the Spanish Empire, first falling within the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, to then be administered directly by Madrid (through the General Captaincy of Manila in the still-Spanish Philippines) upon the independence of Latin America and the dissolution of New Spain starting in 1821. They were only formally possessed by Spain for much of their colonial history, and were generally considered part of the "Carolines (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/ e/e4/Islas_Marianas_Palaos_y_Carolinas.JPG)" (present-day Federated State of Micronesia, Palau, and the US Territories of Marianas and Guam, as well as the Marshall Islands themselves), Marshall Islanders sailing, with sails or alternatively the "Nuevas Filipinas" ("New Philippines"). The brailed (reefed), c. 1899–1900. islands were mostly left to their own affairs except for short- lived religious missions (documented in 1668 and 17 31) during the 16th and 17 th centuries. They were largely ignored by European powers except for cartographic demarcation treaties between the Iberian Empires (Portugal and Castilian Spain) in 1529, 17 50 and 17 7 7 . The archipelago corresponding to the present-day country was independently named by Krusenstern, after British explorer John Marshall, who visited them together with Thomas Gilbert in 17 88, en route from Botany Bay to Canton (two ships of the First Fleet), and started establishing German and British trading posts, not formally contested by Mushroom cloud from the largest Spain. atmospheric nuclear test the United States ever conducted, Castle Bravo. The Marshall Islands were formally claimed by Spain in 187 4 through its capital in the East Indies, Manila, marking the start of several strategic moves by the Second Reich during the 187 0s and 80s to annex them (claiming them to be "by chance unoccupied"[10]). This policy would culminate in a tense naval episode in 1885, which did not degenerate into a conflict due to the poor readiness of Spain's naval forces and the unwillingness for open military action from the German side. Following papal mediation and German compensation of $4.5 million, Spain reached an agreement with Germany in 1885: the 1885 Hispano-German Protocol of Rome. This accord established a protectorate and set up trading stations on the islands of Jaluit (Joló) and Ebon to carry out the flourishing copra (dried coconut meat) trade. Marshallese Iroij (high chiefs) continued to rule under indirect colonial German administration, rendered tacitly effective by the wording in the 1885 Protocol, which demarcated an area subject to Spanish sovereignty (0-11ºN, 133-164ºE) omitting the Eastern Carolines, that is, the Marshall and Gilbert archipelagos, where most of the German trading posts were located.[11] The disputes were rendered moot after the selling of the whole Caroline archipelago to Germany 13 years later. At the beginning of World War I, Japan assumed control of the Marshall Islands. The Japanese headquarters was established at the German center of administration, Jaluit. On January 31, 1944 American forces landed on Kwajalein atoll and U.S. Marines and Army troops later took control of the islands from the Japanese on February 3, following intense fighting on Kwajalein and Enewetak atolls. In 1947 , the United States, as the occupying power, entered into an agreement with the UN Security Council to administer much of Micronesia, including the Marshall Islands, as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. From 1946 to 1958, it served as the Pacific Proving Grounds for the United States and was the site of 67 nuclear tests on various atolls. The world's first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike", was tested at the Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands on November 1, (local date) in 1952, by the United States.