Micronesia · MHL
Marshall Islands
The story · 8 chapters
How it was drawn
Two chains of atolls passed from Germany to Japan to the United States, served as a nuclear test site, and became a freely associated republic.
Play the story Take the first lessonThrough the ages
Rivals in history
The kingdoms, empires and states Marshall Islands fought or stood against, from the first to today.
- German Empire1885 to 1914
Germany makes the Marshall Islands a protectorate in 1885 and lets a trading company run them for its profit from copra. German rule ends when Japanese warships take the islands in 1914.
- Empire of Japan1914 to 1945
Japan takes the islands from Germany in 1914 and rules them under a League mandate, turning Kwajalein, Jaluit and other atolls into bases. Many Marshallese are made to labour for the garrisons, and bypassed atolls face famine until 1945.
- United States1944 to 1986
American forces seize the islands in 1944 and keep them as a United Nations trust territory. The people of Bikini, Enewetak and Rongelap lose their homes to nuclear testing. Self government and the 1986 Compact end the trusteeship.
A 1986 settlement set up a Nuclear Claims Tribunal for the damage done by 67 American tests. The tribunal awarded more than 2 billion dollars, but most was never paid, and the Marshall Islands still press for full compensation.
Today
Marshall Islands now
C. and gradually created permanent settlements on the various atolls. The early inhabitants were skilled navigators who frequently traveled between atolls using stick charts to map the islands. Society became organized under two paramount chiefs, one each for the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain and the Ralik (Sunset) Chain. Spain formally claimed the islands in 1592. Germany established a supply station on Jaluit Atoll and bought the islands from Spain in 1884, although paramount chiefs continued to rule.
- Capital
- Majuro
- Government
- mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US
- Head of government
- Hilda Heine
- Languages
- Marshallese, English
- Area
- 181 km²
Through time
Then and now
- Population38,8002023 · 13,000 in 1950
- Life expectancy66.9 years2023 · 52.6 years in 1950
- Living in cities79%2025 · 26% in 1950
- Literacy96%2021
- Military alliancesNone of these2024 · None of these in 1950
- War deathsNone2025
Population: HYDE 3.3, Gapminder and UN WPP. GDP per capita: Maddison Project Database 2023. Urban share: UN WPP. Life expectancy: Riley, HMD, UN WPP. Literacy: OWID historical estimates, World Bank, UNESCO. Military spending: SIPRI. War deaths: UCDP. Political regime: V-Dem, Regimes of the World. All via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Alliances and organization memberships: compiled by Atlas. Satellites in orbit: CelesTrak SATCAT. Modern borders, backcast.
Relations
Close partners and tensions
Close partners
- United States
- Japan
Summarised from World Bank and Wikipedia data, updated 23 October 2026.