Location Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates 9 00 N, 168 00 E

Map references Oceania

Area
total: 181.3 sq km
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik
water: 0 sq km
land: 181.3 sq km

Area - comparative about the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 370.4 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt

Terrain low coral limestone 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

NOTE: The information regarding Marshall Islands on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Marshall Islands Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Marshall Islands Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.