The Marshall Islands is home to the worldвЂ™s largest shark sanctuary. вЂ“ Source: UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) An atoll in the Marshall Islands (Shutterstock)Дў1. The country only receives around 5,000 tourists a year. The Marshall Islands is the worldвЂ™s second least visited country after Tuvalu. 83.5% of the adult population is classed as overweight.Дў0. The Marshall Islands are the worldвЂ™s fourth most obese country. The country is considering ways to adapt, including building new artificial islands and relocating the population.ДЎ9. As such, this low-lying country is under threat from rising sea levels and climate change. вЂ“ Source: CIA World Fact Book, The TelegraphДЎ8. With a mean elevation of just two meters, the Marshall Islands has one of the worldвЂ™s lowest average elevations. вЂ“ Source: US Department of State, World BankДЎ7. Despite its tiny land area, the Marshall Islands are scattered across over 750,000 sq miles (1,942,491 sq km) of the Pacific Ocean вЂ“ an area roughly the size of Mexico. Ranked by land area only, the Marshall Islands is the sixth smallest sovereign state in the world.ДЎ6. вЂ“ Source: LA Times The Runit Dome on Enewetak Atoll (Greg Nelson: Fair Use)ДЎ5. To clean up the contamination caused by the tests, a giant concrete dome, known as вЂњthe Tomb,вЂќ was constructed to bury over 87,782m 3 (3,100,000ft 3) вЂ“ or 35 Olympic-sized swimming pools вЂ“ of radioactive soil and debris. The hydrogen bomb test, known as вЂњCastle BravoвЂќ, was also the first hydrogen bomb to be dropped from a plane.ДЎ4. In 1954, the largest nuclear-weapons test up to that point was undertaken in the Marshall Islands. In total, the US detonated 67 nuclear bombs on, in and above the Marshall Islands, as well as 12 biological weapons tests.ДЎ3. The atolls of Bikini and Enewetak in the Marshall Islands were used for extensive nuclear weapons testing between 19. Instead, the USA is responsible for its defence.ДЎ3.

As a former US-administered territory, the Marshall Islands did not found an army after gaining independence. As such, the Marshall Islands is one of just 22 countries not to have a military. The USA also rents the Kwajalein atoll as a base and missile test range.ДЎ2. The USA still controls the security and defence of the Marshall Islands and provides millions of dollars in aid annually. The country joined the United Nations in 1991.ДЎ1. In 1986, the Marshall Islands finally gained complete independence after adopting its constitution in 1979. From 1947 to 1994, the Marshall IslandsВ were part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI), a United Nations trust territory administered by the USA.ДЎ0. вЂ“ Source: Britannica The national flag of the Marshall Islands (Shutterstock)Д©. The 24-point star represents the 24 municipalities of the country, with the four longer points representing the capital atoll and the three administrative centres of the subdistricts. The two stripes also represent the nearby equator. The blue background represents the Pacific Ocean, the white stripe signifies brightness and the orange stripe signifies bravery and wealth. The Marshall Islands have a unique flag consisting of a blue background with diagonal stripes of orange and white that increase in size towards the upper right corner. The islands were given their name by British Naval Captain John William Marshall who sailed through the area in 1788 with convicts bound for New South Wales.Д§. In 1592, Spain lay formal claim to the islands in 1885 Germany annexed the islands in 1914 Japan captured the islands in 1944 US forces captured the islands.Д¦. The Marshall Islands were ruled by foreign powers for centuries. Between 15, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan and Spaniard Miguel de Saavedra became the first Europeans to visit the islands.ДҐ.

вЂ“ Source: United Nations Coral reef in the Marshall Islands (Shutterstock)Д¤. The islands are also made up of 870 reef systems and 160 species of coral. Around 2000 BC, the first Micronesian navigators arrived in the Marshall Islands and named the atolls Aelon Kein Ad, which means вЂњour islandsвЂќ.ДЈ. Of these, 29 are atolls and five are isolated islands.Дў. The Marshall Islands are an island nation in Oceania made up of around 1,225 islands and islets. вЂ“ Source: CIA World Fact Book Interesting facts about the Marshall IslandsДЎ. Time zone: UTC+12 (Marshall Islands Time) Official name: Republic of the Marshall Islands Nuclear testing accounts for several interesting facts about the Marshall Islands (Public Domain) Fast facts

Marshall islands atoll