Island Marshall People

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]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Marshall Islands, 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 the Marshall IslandsPROFILEGeographyArea: 181 sq. km. (approximately 70 sq. mi.) of islands scattered over 500,000 sq. mi. of the Western Pacific; slightly larger than Washington, DC.Cities: Capital--Majuro (pop. 225000). Other cities--Ebeye, Jaluit.Terrain: 29 low-lying coral atolls and islands.Climate: Tropical with a wet season from May to November.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Marshallese.Population (1996 est.): 56,000.Annual growth rate: 4%.Ethnic groups: 90% Marshallese, 10% U.S., Filipino, Chinese, New Zealander, and Korean.Religions: Christian, mostly Protestant.Languages: English; two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese.Education: Literacy (1995)--60%.Health: Infant mortality rate-- ... [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]

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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]

The Marshall Plan: The Vision of a Family of Nations – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

The second lesson we can learn from the experience of General Marshall and the Marshall Plan is the need for patience and for a sense of proportion. Many people today assume that the Marshall Plan was an obvious and popular solution to a well-defined problem and that it worked quickly and efficiently and effectively. But that's not how it was. It took nine months to persuade a suspicious and reluctant Congress to act and it took nearly four years before the program had been fully implemented in Europe. And it took still more time for the many positive political spin-offs of the Marshall Plan to become apparent, to develop, which included not only NATO and the OECD but also the foundation of the European Union. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: Rep. Burns Cites Benefits of Compact of Free Association

U.S. strategic interest in the Marshall Islands began in 1946 when the U.S. conducted its first atmospheric nuclear weapons test at Bikini. During the next decade over 67 tests were conducted, leaving a legacy of injuries to people and contamination of homelands that is still being resolved through claims settlement proceedings authorized by Congress under the compact. Amazingly, the islanders suffered greatly but consider themselves survivors rather than just victims, U.S. allies rather than just a subjugated people. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: State's Daley Stresses Mutual Interests of U.S., Pacific Island Nations

The Pacific island nations include the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Nauru, the Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Independent State of Samoa, the Solomon Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Vanuatu. ...

In discussing security, we recognize that the island states and the United States at times have different priorities. But the overriding reality is: each country in the region, and that includes the U.S., is mutually dependent upon the others for achieving its essential security needs. This follows from the interconnectedness of the U.S. and the Pacific island region. Ships and planes are constantly moving goods and peoples into and out of our harbors and airports. Less visibly, money, information, and communications are being exchanged as well. While all of these movements are essential to our well-being, they also feature an element of risk: that they might be exploited by people who wish to do us harm. Managing that risk responsibly, while still facilitating the free movement of people, goods, and information, is a mutual obligation for everyone involved. ... [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]