constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
in transition to constitutional monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Independence date
1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)
Religions
Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages
Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - 41.487 (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003) note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Southern Asia, between China and India
Area
181 km sq
38,394 km sq
Coastline
370 km
0 km
Climate
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
