The Marshall Islands,officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands,is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands,divided across two island chains:Ratak in the east and Ralik in the west. 97.87% of its territory is water,the largest proportion of water to land of any sovereign state. The country shares maritime boundaries with Wake Island to the north,Kiribati to the southeast,Nauru to the south,and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. The capital and largest city is Majuro,home to approximately half of the country's population.
"Forever Marshall Islands",also known by its incipit,"Aelōn̄Eo Ao",is the national anthem of the Marshall Islands. The lyrics were written by former President Amata Kabua,and the music was composed by Korean composer Gil ok-yun by the request of President Kabua. The song was finished and recorded at Oasis Records in Seoul. Kabua and Gil became acquaintances after Jiyong (池勇),an economic adviser for President Amata Kabua,introduced Gil Ok Yun to Kabua.
Marshall Islands elects on the national level a head of state –the president –and a legislature. The president is elected for a four-year term by the parliament. The Legislature (Nitijela) has 33 members,elected for a four-year term in single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The Legislature was last elected in 2019 without the participation of parties,though part of the members could be members of the United Democratic Party. The Marshall Islands is a state in which political parties have not been active.
The government of the Marshall Islands operates under a mixed parliamentary-presidential system as set forth in its Constitution. Elections are held every four years in universal suffrage,with each of the 24 constituencies electing one or more representatives (senators) to the lower house of RMI's unicameral legislature,the Nitijela. The President,who is head of state as well as head of government,is elected by the 33 senators of the Nitijela. Four of the five Marshallese presidents who have been elected since the Constitution was adopted in 1979 have been traditional paramount chiefs.
Iroij Litokwa Tomeing was the President of the Marshall Islands from January 2008 until October 2009.
Ruben R. Zackhras was a Marshallese politician. He was acting President of the Marshall Islands from 21 October 2009 to 26 October 2009. He previously served as Minister of Finance from 1992 to 1998.
An indirect presidential election was held in the Marshall Islands on 26 October 2009 following the ousting of incumbent President Litokwa Tomeing in the nation's first successful vote of no confidence on 21 October 2009. Tomeing had been temporarily replaced by Ruben Zackhras as acting president.
Iroijlaplap Jurelang Zedkaia was a Marshallese politician and Iroijlaplap. He served as the President of the Marshall Islands from 2009 to 2012. He was elected as the country's 5th head of state on October 26,2009,following the ouster of his predecessor,Litokwa Tomeing,in the country's first successful vote of no confidence.
Gerald M. Zackios is a Marshallese politician and diplomat. He was a member of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands (Nitijeļā) from 2000 until 2012. During this period he was Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands from 2000 until 2001 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 until 2007. He serves as the Ambassador of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the United States since June 2016.
Christopher Jorebon Loeak is a Marshallese politician who was the President of the Marshall Islands from 2012 to 2016. He was elected by parliament as President in January 2012,following the 2011 general election.
Alvin Jacklick is a Marshallese politician and government minister. In the late 1980s he was elected mayor of Ebeye,at a time when he was described as a "young radical". He was involved in the projects of the Kwajalein Atoll Development Corporation. Jacklick was the Speaker of Nitijela,the Marshallese Parliament,from 2010 to 2011.
Hilda Cathy Heine is a Marshallese educator and politician who has served as the president of the Marshall Islands since 2024,having previously served from 2016 to 2020. Prior to assuming office,she served as the Minister of Education. She was the first individual from the Marshall Islands to earn a doctorate degree,and the founder of the women's rights group Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI).
Casten Ned Nemra is a Marshallese politician who was President of the Marshall Islands for 17 days in January 2016. He was elected by the Nitijeļā(Parliament) as President in January 2016,following the 2015 general election,narrowly defeating Senator Alvin Jacklick,a seven-term member of Parliament,by a 17–16 vote. He was the youngest person to hold the job and the second commoner. He was ousted by a vote of no confidence after just two weeks in office by the opposition for jumping ship and joining Iroij Mike Kabua's Aelon Kein Ad party along with Senators Dennis Momotaro and Daisy-Alik Momotaro.
Kenneth Kedi is a Marshallese politician. He was Speaker of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands between 2016 and 2024,having been re-elected in 2020. Kedi is a member of the Kien Eo Ad (KEA) party.
Mattlan Zackhras was a Marshallese politician and government minister. He was a member of the Nitijeļāfor Namdrik Atoll since 2004 and was serving as Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands under President Hilda Heine from January 2016 until his death.
Donald F. Capelle is a Marshallese politician. He was Speaker of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands from 2012 to 2016. In January 2020 Capelle became Minister of Transportation,Communication and Information Technology in the cabinet of President David Kabua.
Kitlang Kabua is a Marshallese politician. She was elected to the Legislature of the Marshall Islands (Nitijeļā) for Kwajalein in the 2019 Marshallese general election,receiving 931 votes. She was 28 at the time of her election,making her the youngest person ever elected to the Nitijeļā. Kabua and former President Hilda Heine were the only two women who obtained a seat. She subsequently was appointed Minister of Education,Sports and Training in the cabinet of her uncle President David Kabua. Kabua took her oath of office on 13 January 2020. The formal inauguration of the cabinet took place on 20 January.
Brenson S. Wase is a Marshallese politician and a long-time member of the cabinet and senator in Nitijela.
General elections were held in the Marshall Islands on 20 November 2023,alongside a constitutional referendum.
Alfred Alfred Jr. is a Marshallese politician serving Ailinglaplap Atoll in Nitijela. He was elected in the 2019 election with 516 votes against opponents Waylon Muller who received 96 votes and Christopher Loeak.
