Marshall Islands

THE REPUBLIC OF THE Marshall Islands is composed of a group of atolls and reefs in the north Pacific Ocean. Formerly under the administration of the United States as part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands became independent in 1986 but continues to host the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site. A number of claims have been filed against the United States in connection with nuclear testing that was conducted on the islands before President John Kennedy banned the practice in 1962. Economic ties to the United States remain strong, however, and the economy would be devastated without U.S. aid.

With a per capita annual income of $1,600, the World Bank classifies the Marshall Islands as a lowermiddle-income nation. Over one-fifth of the labor force is involved in agriculture, mostly at the subsistence level. Coconuts, breadfruits, melons, and tomatoes are the most commercially viable crops. Another fifth of the labor force is engaged in small-scale industries that revolve around handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The rest of the labor force is employed in the service sector. Unemployment on the islands is estimated at 30.9 percent. In the future, the expansion of tourism may be the Marshall Islands’ best hope for offsetting recent economic setbacks that occurred in conjunction with recent international events.

Poverty assessments for the Marshall Islands are rather difficult because data on important social indicators are not available. As a result, the United Nations has not ranked the Marshall Islands on general qualityof-life issues. No poverty rank is available, and the extent of poverty on the islands is unknown. As it exists on the islands, poverty is defined as a lack of access to basic human needs, including potable water, healthcare, and a primary education.

Even though the Marshall Islands suffer from a lack of potable water, 85 percent of the population use improved drinking water. Approximately 82 percent of the people have access to sanitation, but rural residents (59 percent) lag behind urban residents (93 percent) on this basic necessity. There are 46 physicians on the islands, and 92 to 100 percent of the population have access to affordable essential drugs.

Life expectancy on the Marshall Islands has fluctuated in recent years. From 1990 to 1995, male life expectancy fell from 68 to 65 years, then dropped again in 2000 to 63 years. During that same period, female life expectancy decreased from 73 to 70 and then to 68 [Page 686]years. By 2005 the projected life span for the 59,071 people on the islands had risen to 70.01 years. The median age is 19.95 years. Over 38 percent of the population are under the age of 14, and 2.7 percent have reached the age of 65.

While childhood mortality rates continue to be high, they have decreased in recent years. Between 1990 and 2003, infant mortality fell from 63 deaths per 1,000 live births to 53 deaths per 1,000 live births. The mortality of all children under the age of 5 dropped from 92 per 1,000 in 1990 to 66 per 1,000 in 2003. About 14 percent of all infants are underweight at birth. The extent of malnourishment among children under the age of 5 is not known. Childhood immunization rates range from 68 to 90 percent among children from birth to 23 months.

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