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The Marshall Islands

Republic of the Marshall Islands
Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ (Marshallese)
Motto: "Jepilpilin ke ejukaan"
"Accomplishment through joint effort"
Location of Marshall Islands
Status Sovereign state in free association with the United States
Capital
and largest city
Majuro
7°7′N 171°4′E / 7.117°N 171.067°E / 7.117; 171.067
Official languages
Ethnic groups (2006)
  • 92.1% Marshallese
  • 5.9% mixed Marshallese
  • 2% others
Demonym Marshallese
Government Unitary parliamentary republic
• President
Hilda Heine
• Speaker
Kenneth Kedi
Legislature Nitijela
Independence from the United States
• Self-government
1979
October 21, 1986
Area
• Total
181.43 km2 (70.05 sq mi) (189th)
• Water (%)
n/a (negligible)
Population
• 2016 estimate
53,066 (United Nations) (203rd)
• 2011 census
53,158
• Density
293.0/km2 (758.9/sq mi) (28th)
GDP (PPP) 2001 estimate
• Total
$115 million (220th)
• Per capita
$2,900a (195th)
Currency United States dollar (USD)
Time zone MHT (UTC+12)
Date format MM/DD/YYYY
Drives on the right
Calling code +692
ISO 3166 code MH
Internet TLD .mh
  1. 2005 estimate.

Coordinates: 9°N 168°E / 9°N 168°E / 9; 168

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Marshallese: Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ), is an island country located near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line. Geographically, the country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The country's population of 53,158 people (at the 2011 Census) is spread out over 29 coral atolls, comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets.

The islands share maritime boundaries with the Federated States of Micronesia to the west, Wake Island to the north,Kiribati to the southeast, and Nauru to the south. About 27,797 of the islanders (at the 2011 Census) live on Majuro, which contains the capital. Data from the United Nations indicates an estimated population in 2016 of 53,066. In 2016, 73.3% of the population were defined as being "urban". The UN also indicates a population density of 295 per km2 (765 people per mi2) and its projected 2020 population is 53,263.


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