SOPAC country profile : Marshall Islands

Abstract

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a young independent nation, comprises approximately 1 225 low lying islets which make up the twentynine atolls and five low-elevation islands. Its total land area is 181 sq km with a maximum height of 3 m above sea level. The archipelagic islands are spread over a vast area of ocean of 2 131 000 sq km in two roughly parallel island chains. The eastern group is the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain and the western is the Ralik (Sunset) Chain. The RMI has a fast-growing population which is estimated at 63 200 in 19991 . Its population is among the youngest in the world – about 50 per cent of the people are less than 15 years old. This implies that the working-age population is growing rapidly in the Republic. More than two-thirds of the total population live in the two urban centers, Majuro and Ebeye.