Micronesia · OceaniaMarshall Islands
Discover the Marshall Islands - a remote Pacific republic of 29 coral atolls where ancient navigation traditions meet a profound nuclear legacy and rising seas.
Where Is the Marshall Islands?
The Marshall Islands is a country in Micronesia, Oceania. Its capital is Majuro.
- Capital Majuro
- Population 36.3K
- Area 181 km²
The Marshall Islands are 29 coral atolls and 5 low-lying islands scattered like a broken pearl necklace across 1.9 million square kilometers of the central Pacific. On a map they are nearly invisible - tiny rings of sand and palm surrounding turquoise lagoons in an ocean so vast it defies comprehension. But the Marshallese people navigated these waters for thousands of years using stick charts, reading wave patterns and currents with a precision that modern science is only beginning to understand.
The islands carry a heavy modern history. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, including the Castle Bravo test at Bikini Atoll - the most powerful nuclear device the US ever exploded. The fallout contaminated entire atolls and displaced communities that have never been able to return home. Today, the Marshall Islands face another existential threat: rising sea levels. Most of the country sits barely a meter above the ocean, and the Marshallese have become some of the most eloquent voices in the global fight against climate change.
At a glance
Largest cities in Marshall Islands
Majuro
Ebeye
Wotje
Famous people from Marshall Islands
Hilda Heine
PoliticsFirst female head of state in any Pacific island nation, serving as President of the Marshall Islands from 2016 to 2020 and again since 2024
Amata Kabua
PoliticsFirst President of the Marshall Islands after independence, who led the nation through its formative years
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner
LiteraturePoet and climate activist whose spoken word about rising seas addressed the United Nations and moved the world
Traditional cuisine of Marshall Islands
- Baked Reef Fish
- Fresh-caught fish from the lagoon baked in banana leaves with coconut cream and lime, the everyday meal of atoll life
- Breadfruit
- Roasted, boiled, or made into a preserved paste called bwiro, breadfruit is the essential starch of Marshallese cuisine
- Coconut Crab
- The world's largest land arthropod, considered a delicacy across the Pacific, its meat rich from a diet of coconut
- Pandanus Fruit
- Fibrous tropical fruit processed into juice, paste, and dried strips, a traditional food source unique to atoll environments
Nature and landmarks in Marshall Islands
- Bikini AtollIsland
- UNESCO World Heritage Site and former US nuclear testing ground, now an eerie underwater paradise of shipwrecks and recovering coral
- Majuro LagoonCoast
- Massive lagoon enclosed by the Majuro atoll, shimmering turquoise waters that are central to life in the capital
- Arno AtollIsland
- One of the largest atolls in the Marshalls with 133 islands around its lagoon, known for excellent snorkeling and quiet beauty
Sports in Marshall Islands
- Basketball
- The most popular sport in the Marshall Islands, influenced by American culture, played on courts across every atoll
- Outrigger Canoeing
- Traditional wa canoe sailing remains a cultural sport, connecting modern Marshallese to thousands of years of navigation heritage
Did you know?
Marshallese stick charts are one of the most sophisticated traditional navigation systems ever developed, mapping wave patterns across the open Pacific
The US detonated 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958, including the massive Castle Bravo test at Bikini Atoll
The Runit Dome on Enewetak Atoll is a concrete cap covering radioactive debris from nuclear tests - locals call it The Tomb
Bikini Atoll gave its name to the bikini swimsuit - its French designer named it after the atomic tests to suggest an explosive impact
The Marshall Islands uses the US dollar as its currency and has a Compact of Free Association allowing Marshallese to live and work in the US
Most of the country sits less than 2 meters above sea level, making it among the most climate-vulnerable nations on Earth
Read more about Marshall Islands
Can you find Marshall Islands on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Marshall Islands and its neighbours without a second thought.
