Food Island Marshall

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a sovereign nation in "free association" with the United States. After more than a decade of negotiation, the Marshall Islands and the United States signed the Compact of Free Association on June 25, 1983. The people of the Marshall Islands approved the compact in a UN-observed plebiscite on September 7, 1983. The U.S. Congress subsequently approved the compact, adding several amendments which were accepted by the Government of the Marshall Islands and the compact entered into force on October 21, 1986. In 1999-2003, the two nations negotiated an amended Compact that entered into force on May 1, 2004. Under the amended Compact, the U.S. will provide the RMI $57 million over the next ten years and $62 million over the following 10 years, and will give Marshallese access to U.S. programs and services throughout. A Joint Economic Management and Financial Accountability Committee (JEMFAC) comprised of representatives of both governments will ensure t ... [Read More]

Report Evaluating the Request of the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Presented to the Congress of the United States of America

Exposure: The facts regarding radioactive fallout do not support a request under the "changed circumstances" provision of the section 177 settlement agreement. In its request, the RMI asserts that a far wider area of the Marshall Islands than the northerly atolls and islands that are the focus of the section 177 settlement agreement was exposed to dangerous levels of radioactivity. The weight of expert scientific evidence indicates that the present impact of radioactive fallout on the Marshall Islands is limited to the more northerly atolls and islands. Although some islands may never be suitable for communities or food gathering and should remain off limits, most historically inhabited islands in the northern atolls could be resettled under specific conditions. The section 177 settlement agreement recognized that, within the northern atolls, some islands would be more habitable than others. In the section 177 settlement agreement, the Government of the Marshall Islan ... [Read More]

Marshall Islands

Customs authorities of the Marshall Islands strictly prohibit the importation of firearms, ammunition, explosives and indecent publications. Certification from the Quarantine Division is required for importing animals, plants and fruits. It is advisable to contact the Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in Washington, D.C., or one of the Marshall Islands' Consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements. Please see our information on customs regulations. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

The total population of the Marshall Islands as of the 1999 census was 50,840 people.  That was an increase of 7,460 people since the 1988 census. Majuro and Ebeye are the two urban population centers. Over 50% of Marshallese live on Majuro Atoll. Out of the total population, 19% live in the island of Ebeye in Kwajalein Atoll and 3% on the outer islands of Kwajalein Atoll. With just 0.14 square miles, Ebeye Island is the most densely populated area in the Marshall Islands, with an equivalent population density of 66,750 persons per square mile. The city of Majuro and Ebeye offer amenities, such as electricity, modern Western lifestyles, and employment opportunities (albeit limited) that continually draw younger Marshallese from the outer islands. On the outer atolls the lifestyle is mostly unchanged and untouched by modern development. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TEXT: CLINTON REMARKS TO LEADERS OF MICRONESIAN GOVERNMENTS

Clinton said he recently signed Congressman Underwood's bills guaranteeing the eligibility of students from the Freely Associated States for Pell grants and extended food aid to residents of the Marshall Islands who were harmed by U.S. nuclear testing during the Cold War. He also announced that the United States will fulfill the final commitment made in its compact with Palau; allocating $150 million to build a 53-mile road to help open its largest island, Babeldaob. ... [Read More]

Kiribati (05/05)

The original inhabitants of Kiribati are Gilbertese, a Micronesian people. Approximately 90% of the population of Kiribati lives on the atolls of the Gilbert Islands. Although the Line Islands are about 2,000 miles east of the Gilbert Islands, most inhabitants of the Line Islands are also Gilbertese. Owing to an annual population growth rate of around 2.5% and severe overcrowding in the capital on South Tarawa, a program of migration has been implemented to move nearly 5,000 inhabitants to outlying atolls, mainly in the Line Islands. The Phoenix Islands have never had any permanent population. A British effort to settle Gilbertese there in the 1930s failed due to lack of water. A new program of settlement to the Phoenix Islands was begun in 1995. ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Kiribati, May 1996Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsPrepared and released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Pacific Island AffairsMay 1996Official Name: Republic of KiribatiPROFILEGeographyArea: 719 sq. km. (266 sq. mi.).Capital: Tarawa.Terrain: Archipelago of low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs.Climate: Hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.PeopleNationality: I'KiribatiPopulation (1995): 77,852; Tarawa (1995): 32,356.Annual growth rate (1995): 1.45%Ethnic groups: Predominantly Micronesian, with some Polynesian.Religions: 54% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant (Congregational), some Seventh-day Adventist, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints and Church of God.Languages: English (official), I-Kiribati.Education (1985): Compulsory through age 11. Literacy--90%.Health (1990): Infant mortality rate--62/1,000. Life expectancy--55 yrs. male, 60 yrs. female.Work force: 7,000.GovernmentT ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: U.S. Committed to Helping Developing Pacific Island Nations

The United States is also working closely with Pacific Island Nations, as we are with many other developing nations, on the climate change issue. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assists the overall Global Climate Observation System (GCOS) effort in the Pacific Islands with training and infrastructure support, capacity-building among meteorologists in the region to improve predictions and related climate change risk management and adaptation strategic planning. In addition, the U.S. will be collaborating under the Climate Action Partnership, a new arrangement with Australia, to cooperate with developing countries in the Pacific Island region to build their capacity to address climate change. Initial projects under this activity will establish and maintain robust climate monitoring and data management systems in the Pacific, and will assist Pacific Island countries in accessing and applying climate and oceanographic information more effectively ... [Read More]

Palau (11/04)

The Republic of Palau consists of eight principal islands and more than 250 smaller ones lying roughly 500 miles southeast of the Philippines. The islands of Palau constitute part of the Caroline Islands chain. About 70% of the Palauan population lives in the capital city of Koror on Koror Island. The constitution calls for a new capital to be established on the bigger but less developed island of Babeldaob--the second-largest island in Micronesia after Guam. ... [Read More]

Micronesia (10/04)

The ancestors of the Micronesians settled the Caroline Islands over 4,000 years ago. A decentralized chieftain-based system eventually evolved into a more centralized economic and religious empire centered on Yap. European explorers--first the Portuguese in search of the Spice Islands (Indonesia) and then the Spanish--reached the Carolines in the 16th century, with the Spanish establishing sovereignty. The current FSM passed to German control in 1899, then to the Japanese in 1914, and finally to the U.S. under UN auspices in 1947 as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. ... [Read More]