The 34 coral atolls and islands of the Marshall Islands lie in the larger island group of Micronesia in the northern Pacific Ocean. Most people live on one of the largest atolls, Majuro. Kwajalein, which hosts a US Navy base, is the largest atoll by area. Coconuts are a major crop in the Marshall Islands; the inner part of the coconut, copra, can be processed to make oil, which is then used as a fuel for power generators, cars and ships.

History

The Marshall Islands were settled by Micronesians in the 2nd millennium BC. Early settlers travelled between the islands by canoe using traditional stick charts. Spain claimed the islands in 1592. Three centuries later, they sold some of them to Germany. Japan occupied the islands in World War I, before the US took control in 1944, during World War II. The Americans used them for nuclear testing (at Bikini atoll) between 1944 and 1958, then granted the islands independence in 1979.

Facts about the Marshall Islands

Population 58,413

Area 181 sq km (70 sq miles)

Highest point Likiep Atoll 10 m (33 ft)

Capital Majuro (pop. 27,797)

Languages Marshallese (a Micronesian language), English

Religions Christian 97%, others and none 3%

Ethnicity Marshallese 92%, mixed Marshallese 6%, other 2%

Currency United States dollar (USD)