imestone and sand islands

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Natural resources: coconut products, marine products, deep seabed
minerals

Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 0% other: 83% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Natural hazards: infrequent typhoons

Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water;
pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from
fishing vessels

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - 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 Marshall Islands

Population: 73,630 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 49.1% (male 18,443; female 17,704) 15-64
years: 48.9% (male 18,347; female 17,628) 65 years and over: 2% (male 720;
female 788) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.89% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 44.98 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.07 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 38.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 68.09 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 6.49 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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

Ethnic groups: Micronesian

Religions: Christian (mostly Protestant)

Languages: English (widely spoken as a second language, both English
and Marshallese are official languages), two major Marshallese dialects
from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999)

Government Marshall Islands

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall