The Probert Encyclopaedia of Places of the World

MARSHALL ISLANDS

The Republic of the Marshall islands is a country comprised of a group of two chains of islands and atolls in the west Pacific Ocean - The Ralik chain comprising eleven islands and the southern Rattak chain of 13 islands. They have a total area of 181.3 km2. The climate is wet, hot and humid. The islands are made of low coral limestone and sand. Natural resources are phosphate deposits, marine products and deep seabed minerals The religion is predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant. The official language is English, with two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family and Japanese also spoken.
The Marshall Islands were discovered by Europeans during the 16th century but not colonised until 1906, then by Germany. From 1919 until 1946 the Marshall Islands were administered by Japan, before being taken by the USA and forming part of the Pacific Trust Territory and being used for testing nuclear bombs, most notably at Bikini Atoll and Eniwetok. In 1979 the Marshall Islands became a self-governing territory, and in 1991 gained full independence.
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