The Marshall Islands is a small Pacific country in Micronesia. It is made up of 29 coral atolls and 5 single islands, about 1,225 islands and islets in all. Together they have only about 181 square kilometers (70 square miles) of land, spread across nearly 2 million square kilometers of ocean. The capital is Majuro, the 2021 census counted 42,418 people, and the currency is the US dollar. The country has been tied to the United States by a Compact of Free Association since 1986 and joined the United Nations in 1991. It is also known for two things it never chose: 67 US nuclear tests, and some of the highest sea-level-rise risk on Earth.
Key facts about the Marshall Islands
Online fact pages give population figures anywhere from 43,000 to 82,000. The higher number is an old estimate. The table below uses the most recent official figures, as of October 2026.
| Fact | Figure | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) | Constitution, 1979 |
| Capital | Majuro (on Majuro Atoll) | Also the largest population center |
| Population | 42,418 | 2021 RMI Census; down from 53,158 in 2011 |
| Land area | About 181 sq km (70 sq mi) | About the size of Washington, D.C., times three |
| Atolls and islands | 29 atolls, 5 islands, about 1,225 islets | UN Permanent Mission of the RMI |
| Average elevation | About 2 m (6.5 ft) | Among the lowest-lying nations in the world |
| Languages | Marshallese and English (both official) | English is widely used in government and business |
| Currency | US dollar | No local currency |
| Government | Parliamentary republic. The president is elected by the 33-seat Nitijela | 24 municipalities |
| Time zone | UTC+12 | 17 hours ahead of Florida during Eastern Daylight Time |
What the Marshall Islands is: atolls, two island chains and a lot of ocean
An atoll is a ring of coral reef and small islands around a central lagoon. Atolls usually form on the rim of an old volcano that has sunk below the surface. That is why the Marshall Islands has so little land. Most islets are a few hundred meters wide, with the ocean on one side and the lagoon on the other.
The atolls run in two roughly parallel chains, running northwest to southeast:
- Ratak (Sunrise) chain: the eastern chain, which includes Majuro, Arno and Wotje.
- Ralik (Sunset) chain: the western chain, which includes Kwajalein, Jaluit, Bikini and Enewetak.
Kwajalein, in the Ralik chain, has one of the largest lagoons in the world, about 2,174 square kilometers. It is also home to the US Army’s Reagan Test Site, a missile-testing and space-tracking installation. The site is one of the main reasons the Marshall Islands matters strategically to Washington.
Key facts about the Marshall Islands and the context behind them
1–4: History in four dates
- Spain claimed the islands in 1592, but it never really settled them. They are named after British captain John Marshall, who sailed through in 1788.
- Germany annexed them in 1885 as a protectorate, mostly for the copra (dried coconut) trade.
- Japan took control in 1914 and held the islands under a League of Nations mandate until US forces captured them in 1944. Kwajalein and Enewetak were major World War II battles.
- Self-rule came in steps: a constitution in 1979, the Compact of Free Association in 1986, and UN membership in 1991.
5–7: The nuclear testing legacy
- The US carried out 67 nuclear tests there between 1946 and 1958, at Bikini and Enewetak atolls. Their combined yield was greater than all other US atmospheric tests put together.
- Castle Bravo (March 1, 1954) was the largest. At 15 megatons, it was about 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. Fallout landed on people living on Rongelap and Utrik, who had not been evacuated. Many later suffered thyroid disease and other illnesses. March 1 is now a national holiday, Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day.
- The effects are not over. Bikini’s people were moved in 1946 and still cannot safely return home. On Enewetak, the Runit Dome holds about 73,000 cubic meters of radioactive debris under a concrete cap, and rising seas now threaten it. Bikini Atoll became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.
8–9: Climate risk is a present problem
- With an average elevation of about 2 meters, a single king tide or storm surge can flood whole neighborhoods in Majuro. Saltwater also gets into the thin underground freshwater supply that islanders rely on for water and crops. A 2021 World Bank study found that a 1-meter rise in sea level could permanently flood about 40% of Majuro’s existing buildings.
- The country punches far above its size in climate talks. Foreign minister Tony deBrum helped build the “High Ambition Coalition” that pushed for the 1.5°C goal in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The government’s long-term plans now openly discuss raising islands and moving people within the country.
10–11: The US Compact, in plain terms
- The Compact of Free Association is a trade: the US handles defense and gets exclusive military access, and in return it provides economic aid. The Compact was renewed in 2024 with about $2.3 billion in US funding over 20 years.
- Marshallese citizens can live, work and study in the US without a visa. Partly as a result, tens of thousands of Marshallese now live in the US. Marshallese also enlist in the US military at high rates per person.
12–13: Nature and conservation
- The reefs host more than 160 coral species and some of the healthiest reef systems in the Pacific, especially on the outer atolls.
- The country created a shark sanctuary in 2011 covering its entire exclusive economic zone of nearly 2 million square kilometers. At the time it was the largest in the world, and commercial shark fishing is banned there.
14–15: Culture and traditions
- Marshallese navigators made stick charts. These are frameworks of palm ribs tied together, with shells marking islands. They did not show distances. They showed how ocean swells bend and meet around land, and navigators memorized them before a voyage, then read the waves through the hull of their canoes. You will not find this tradition anywhere else in the world.
- Society is matrilineal. Land rights pass down through the mother’s line, and land is the most important asset a family holds. The everyday greeting is iakwe (often spelled “yokwe”), which means something close to “love to you.”
The flag carries much of this history. The orange and white diagonal stripes stand for the Ratak and Ralik chains and rise toward the upper right, just as the country lies north of the equator. The star has 24 points, one for each municipality. Four of its rays are longer, for the main centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje and Ebeye.
Visiting the Marshall Islands and what to know
Fact-list pages almost never cover this part. The Marshall Islands is one of the least-visited countries in the Pacific, and that is both the appeal and the catch.
- Getting there: United’s “Island Hopper” flies Honolulu–Majuro–Kwajalein and continues to Guam, a few times a week. From Florida, plan on a full day of travel at least, usually with an overnight in Honolulu. You also cross the International Date Line, so you lose a day going out. Nauru Airlines connects Majuro with Brisbane via Nauru. Check schedules close to booking, because they change.
- Entry: US citizens need a valid passport but no visa, thanks to the Compact. If your passport is up for renewal, see our guide on getting the standard US passport design.
- Money: The currency is the US dollar. Bring cash for the outer atolls, where card readers and ATMs are rare or don’t exist.
- The main draws: World War II wrecks and plane remains in Majuro and Kwajalein lagoons; very little-dived reefs on Arno and the outer atolls; and the famous ghost fleet in Bikini lagoon, including the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. Diving trips to Bikini have been irregular for years, so confirm with an operator before you build a trip around it.
- The trade-offs: Hotels are basic, outer-island flights on Air Marshall Islands can be cancelled, and Majuro itself is crowded rather than postcard-perfect. The scenery travelers come for is on the outer atolls.
Is it worth visiting? It is, if you are a diver, a WWII history traveler or someone collecting remote countries, and you have some flexibility in your schedule. If you want a classic beach-resort week, Hawaii or Palau will suit you better. For more trip ideas, browse our Travel section. If you are connecting through Texas on the way west, our Florida flyer’s guide to DFW Terminal E can help with the layover.
Common questions: capital, size, currency and more
What is the capital? Majuro. About half the population lives on Majuro Atoll. Ebeye, on Kwajalein, is the second urban center and one of the most crowded places in the Pacific.
How big is it? It has about 181 square kilometers of land, a little larger than Washington, D.C., and its ocean territory is nearly as big as Mexico.
What currency does it use? The US dollar, which has been the official currency since independence.
Florida relevance: why these facts matter here
The link is closer than you might expect. Under the Compact, Marshallese citizens can legally move to any US state, including Florida, without a visa. The largest community is in Springdale, Arkansas, with others in Hawaii, Washington and Oregon. As residents, they pay US taxes and serve in the US military.
The climate parallel is the more useful one. Much of the Florida Keys and parts of Miami-Dade sit just a few feet above sea level, about the same height as Majuro. Floridians already know the tidal flooding, saltwater intrusion into aquifers and buyout-versus-elevate debates that the Marshall Islands faces now, only the Marshall Islands has no higher ground to retreat to.
FAQs
Is the Marshall Islands a country or part of the US?
It is an independent country and a UN member since 1991. It is linked to the US by the Compact of Free Association. Under that treaty, the US handles defense and provides economic aid, and Marshallese citizens can live and work in the US without a visa.
Why is the Marshall Islands sinking?
The islands are not really sinking. Sea levels are rising around them. With an average elevation of about 2 meters, even small rises bring more frequent flooding and push saltwater into the freshwater supply. A 2021 World Bank study found a 1-meter rise could permanently flood about 40% of Majuro’s buildings.
Did the US test nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands?
Yes. The US carried out 67 nuclear tests at Bikini and Enewetak atolls between 1946 and 1958. The largest, Castle Bravo in 1954, spread fallout over inhabited atolls. Health problems, displaced communities and contamination continue today.
How many people live in the Marshall Islands?
The 2021 census counted 42,418 people, down from 53,158 in 2011. The fall is largely due to people moving to the US under the Compact. About half the population lives on Majuro Atoll.
What language is spoken in the Marshall Islands?
Marshallese and English are both official languages. Marshallese is spoken at home and in daily life. English is widely used in government, business and schools, so English-speaking visitors can get around easily.
Can US citizens travel to the Marshall Islands without a visa?
Yes. Under the Compact, US citizens do not need a visa, but they do need a valid passport. Check current entry and health requirements with the RMI government or the US Embassy in Majuro before you go.
