erview: Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of
the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology
companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in
expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result,
agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in
their shares of GNP. Banking now contributes over 20% to GNP and manufacturing
about 15%. Trade is mostly with the UK.

GNP: $490 million, per capita $7,573; real growth rate NA% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1988)

Budget: revenues $130.4 million; expenditures $114.4 million, including
capital expenditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)

Exports: $NA; commodities--tweeds, herring, processed shellfish
meat; partners--UK

Imports: $NA; commodities--timber, fertilizers, fish;
partners--UK

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 61,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced,
2,930 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: an important offshore financial center; financial services,
light manufacturing, tourism

Agriculture: cereals and vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Aid: NA

Currency: Manx pound (plural--pounds); 1 Manx pound (LM) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Manx pounds (LM) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990),
0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985);
the Manx pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

- Communications
Railroads: 36 km electric track, 24 km steam track

Highways: 640 km motorable roads

Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel

Merchant marine: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,656,216
GRT/2,984,047 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 5 container,
6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 32 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
5 chemical tanker, 2 combination ore/oil, 6 liquefied gas, 12 bulk;
note--a captive register of the United Kingdom, although not all
ships on the register are British-owned

Airports: 2 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: 24,435 telephones; stations--1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV

- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Marshall Islands
- Geography
Total area: 181.3 km2; land area: 181.3 km2; includes the atolls
of Bikini, Eniwetak,