Republic of the Marshall Islands

The Basics

Population: 52,700 (2007 estimate)

Capital: Majuro

Land Area: 181.3 sq. km

Political Status and Form of Government: Constitutional government in free association with the U.S.

Languages: Marshallese (which has two dialects) and English

Currency: U.S. Dollar

Number of Islands: 29 atolls and five islands

The Numbers

Gross Domestic Product: $149.5 million (2007 projected)

Gross Domestic Product per capita: $2,836 (2007 projected)

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 1.7% (2007 projected)

National Budget: $123 million (2008 FY)

Aid per capita: $1,548 (2008 FY/from U.S. and Taiwan)

Life Expectancy: Male: 65.5 years Female:

Ethnicity: Micronesian

Nationality: Marshallese

Age Distribution:0-14 years: 40.98%, , 15-64 years: 57.62%, 65+: 1.39%

Population Growth Rate: 0.07% (2006 with out-migration included)

People in Power

Head of Government: President Kessai Hesa Note (to 1/2008)

Head of State: President Kessai Hesa Note (to 1/2008)

Cabinet Members: (Subject to change 1/2008) Kessai H. Note, Foreign Affairs; Brenson S. Wase, Finance; Mattlan Zackhras, Public Works; Wilfred I. Kendall, Education; Witten T. Philippo, Minister in Assistance to the President; Alvin Jacklick, Health; John M. Silk, Resources and Development; Rien Morris, Internal Affairs; Mike Konelios, Transportation and Communications; Donald F. Capelle, Justice.

Representative Body: Unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats)

Regional Organizations

ACP, ADB, FAO, FFA,G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, ITU, OPCW, PIF, SOPAC, Sparteca, SPREP, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WCPTC

Media & Internet Service Providers

Radio: One Government-run AM radio station in Majuro, five FM stations (one commercial, two government and two religious affiliated stations), one local government-run radio station at Ebeye. TV: Marshalls Broadcasting Co. operates cable TV in Majuro; Ebeye residents receive Armed Forces TV and radio from the U.S. Kwajalein missile range. National Telecommunications Authority announced in November that digital wireless TV service will be offered to Majuro and Arno residents beginning August 2008. Other: The independent Marshall Islands Journal is the only newspaper www.marshallisandsjournal.com. There is one news and chat web site, www.yokwe.net, and the President’s Office web site, www.rmigovernment.org. ISP: National Telecommunication Authority. Telecommunications: digital switching equipment; services include telex, cellular, Internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits.

Recent News

A national election in November 2007 led to a party switch by Speaker Litokwa Tomeing, who joined the opposition Aelon Kein Ad (Our Islands) party after eight years as Speaker under President Kessai Note’s United Democratic Party. The UDP lost a number of its incumbents. As Pacific Magazine went to press, final election results had not been released. But what appeared clear was that for the first time since the Marshall Islands established constitutional government in 1979, there will be a coalition government, as neither the UDP nor the AKA appeared to have the 17 MPs needed to command an outright majority in the Nitijela (parliament). The recent national election also heralded the election of several independent candidates, another first for the country. The primary issue for the AKA is confronting the U.S. government over long-term American use of the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll. The Note government signed off on an extension of U.S. use to 2086, but the landowners have consistently rejected that, saying that unless the terms of the deal are improved, U.S. presence at Kwajalein will expire with the current lease in 2016. An AKA-led government will put that issue front and center of the relationship with Washington. A key question in the political debate is will the RMI maintain ties to Taiwan, now it’s second largest aid donor? Leading AKA officials have said bluntly they want to return to relations with China in 2008. Out-migration to the U.S. continued at a level of about 1,000 islanders annually. The increasing number of Japan Airlines charter flights to Majuro and the expected opening in early 2008 of a new tuna processing plant are indications improvement in the private sector side of the economy, which has been generally flat the past two years, particularly with the high-impact of fuel and power costs.