Yearbook 2009
Marshall Islands. According to countryaah, Foreign Minister Tony de Brum was dismissed in February after openly criticizing President Litokwa Tomeing. The minister accused the president of not providing enough support to landowners who were trying to get higher rents from the US Army, which has a base for missile testing on the Kwajalein Atoll. The background to the conflict was Tomeings and de Brum’s differing views on the attitude of the Marshall Islands to the United States, which accounts for close to two-thirds of the country’s state budget. Relations with the United States are characterized by the disputes over damages following the US nuclear weapons explosions over the islands in the 1940s and 1950s. While Tomeing tried to have a friendly dialogue, they wanted Brum to confront the United States. Tony de Brum tried in April to cast the president in a vote of no confidence. He was unsuccessful, but Tomeing dismissed three more ministers and reformed the government. In October, it was time for a new vote of no confidence and this time President Tomeing lost the votes 17-17. A few days later, Parliament appointed President Jurelang Zedkaia as new president. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for abbreviation MH which stands for the nation of Marshall Islands.
Following a sharp increase in population in the 1980s, since the beginning of the 1990s, zero growth has been achieved as a result of migration. Each year, around 1,000 citizens move to the United States.
In November, the Marshall Islands, along with ten other Pacific Islanders, demanded that the UN adopt a legally binding agreement at the Copenhagen climate summit in December. The group’s spokesman, Palau’s UN ambassador Stuart Beck, said before the UN General Assembly that only a binding climate agreement can save low-lying countries such as the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu. The disappointment was therefore great among the Pacific countries when it became clear that the climate summit did not lead to a binding UN document signed by all countries.
Shopping
Overview
Kili handbags made by former residents of Bikini Island; navigation charts carved on sticks; braided floor mats, fans, purses and baskets.
Opening hours
Mon-Fri 08.00-17.00.
Nightlife
Introduction
There are nightclubs on Majuro and Ebeye, and traditional dances are performed in some hotels.
Culinary
Overview
There are several restaurants in Majuro offering American, European, Chinese and local dishes. Some islands do not allow alcoholic beverages.
Tip
Tipping is not customary.
Culture
Religion
90% Independent Protestant Church of the Marshall Islands, 8.5% Roman Catholic.
Social Rules of Conduct
Casual attire is appropriate for business meetings and social occasions. Clothing that is too tight or »topless« is not seen with pleasure. In some areas, the island trails can only be used with permission.
Climate
Country data
Phone prefix
+692
Area (sq km)
181
Population
59,190
Population density (per square km)
399
Population statistics year
2020
Main emergency number
911