A 24-rayed star; national colors: blue, white, orange.
Title | "Forever Marshall Islands" |
---|---|
Lyric/music | Amata KABUA |
Date of Independence | 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship) |
---|---|
National holiday | Constitution Day, 1 May (1979) |
Legal system | mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes |
International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
Constitution | |
History | Effective 1 May 1979 |
Amendments | Proposed by the National Parliament or by a constitutional convention; passage by Parliament requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership in each of two readings and approval by a majority of votes in a referendum; amendments submitted by a constitutional convention require approval of at least two thirds of votes in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2018 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of the Marshall Islands |
Dual citizenship recognized | no |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Hilda C. HEINE (since 3 January 2023) |
Head of government | President Hilda C. HEINE (since 3 January 2023) |
Cabinet | Cabinet nominated by the president from among members of the Nitijela, appointed by Nitijela speaker |
Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by the Nitijela from among its members for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 2 January 2023 (next to be held in 2027) |
Election results | 2023: Hilda C. HEINE elected president; National Parliament vote - Hilda C. HEINE (independent) 17, David KABUA (independent) 16 2020: David KABUA elected president; National Parliament vote - David KABUA (independent) 20, Hilda C. HEINE (independent) 12 |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral National Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members in 19 single- and 5 multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) |
Elections | Last held on 20 November 2023 (next to be held in November 2027) |
Election results | Percent of vote by party - NA; seats by part - independent 33; composition - men 29, women 4, percent of women 12.1% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices) |
Judge selection and term of office | Judges appointed by the Cabinet upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission (consists of the chief justice of the High Court, the attorney general and a private citizen selected by the Cabinet) and upon approval of the Nitijela; the current chief justice, appointed in 2013, serves for 10 years; Marshallese citizens appointed as justices serve until retirement at age 72 |
Subordinate courts | High Court; District Courts; Traditional Rights Court; Community Courts |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Charles Rudolph PAUL (since 27 February 2024) |
Chancery | 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 234-5414 |
FAX | [1] (202) 232-3236 |
Email address and website | [email protected] |
Consulate(s) general | Honolulu, Springdale (AR) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Lance POSEY (since 18 August 2023) |
Embassy | Mejen Weto, Ocean Side, Majuro |
Mailing address | 4380 Majuro Place, Washington DC 20521-4380 |
Telephone | [692] 247-4011 |
FAX | [692] 247-4012 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://mh.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 1 (cultural) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site |
Want to know more about Marshall Islands? Check all different factbooks for Marshall Islands below.