Category: Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is made up of hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator. There are more than 73 thousand residents (2016). The capital is Majuro, an atoll of 64 islands. Government buildings are located on three islands: Djarrit, Uliga and Delap. The Spanish were the first Europeans to visit these islands, in the 16th century. In 1788, English captain John Marshall explored part of the islands. Then the Russians, the Germans and the Japanese arrived. In 1944, during the Second World War, the United States dominated the Marshall Islands. Between 1946 and 1958, the islands of Bikini and Enewetak served as a testing ground for 67 nuclear bombs. In 1986, the Marshall Islands gained independence.