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Marshall Islands: Facts and Figures from Encarta Go to article
Basic Facts
Official name Republic of the Marshall Islands
Capital Majuro
Area 181 sq km
70 sq mi
Largest cities (population)
Majuro 23,682 (2004 estimate)
Marshall Islands Flag and Anthem
Marshall Islands Flag and Anthem
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People
Population 63,174 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate 2.14 per cent (2008 estimate)
Population density 349 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)
904 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)
Urbanization
Per cent urban 66 per cent (2003 estimate)
Per cent rural 34 per cent (2003 estimate)
Life expectancy
Total 70.9 years (2008 estimate)
Female 73 years (2008 estimate)
Male 68.9 years (2008 estimate)
Infant mortality rate
26 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)
Literacy rate
Total 93 per cent (1980)
Female 88 per cent (1980)
Male 100 per cent (1980)
Ethnic divisions
Micronesian, German, Japanese, American, Filipino
Languages
Marshallese (official), English (official)
Religions
Christian (mostly Protestant)
Government
Type of government Republic
Independence October 21, 1986 (from the United States-administered United Nations [UN] trusteeship)
Constitution May 1, 1979
Voting rights Universal at age 18
Economy
Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)
155 million (2006)
GDP per capita (US$) 2,363 (2006)
GDP by economic sector
GDP, agriculture 11.2 per cent (2001)
GDP, industry 21.2 per cent (2001)
GDP, services 67.6 per cent (2001)
National budget (US$)
Total revenue Not available
Total expenditure Not available
Monetary unit
1 United States dollar (US$), consisting of 100 cents
Exports
Coconut oil, fish, live animals, shells
Imports
Foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, beverages and tobacco, fuels
Major trading partners for exports
United States, Japan, Australia
Major trading partners for imports
United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand
Industries
Copra, fishing, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearls; offshore banking
Agriculture
Coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, pigs, chickens
Natural resources
Phosphate deposits, marine products, ocean floor minerals
Sources
Basic Facts and People sections
Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).
Health and Education section
Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).
Government section
Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.
Economy section
Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.
Energy, Communication, and Transportation section
Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).
Note
Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.
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