Part 471

Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Natural resources: phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 60% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 40%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: occasional typhoons international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

Geographic note: two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range

People ------

Population: 58,363 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 51% (male 15,043; female 14,435) 15-64 years: 47% (male 14,084; female 13,399) 65 years and over: 2% (male 657; female 745) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.85% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 45.75 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 7.28 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female all ages: 1.04 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 46.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.81 years male: 62.25 years female: 65.45 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.83 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic divisions: Micronesian

Religions: Christian (mostly Protestant)

Languages: English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 93% male: 100% female: 88%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Data code: RM

Type of government: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986

Capital: Majuro

Administrative divisions: none