Geography of the Marshall Islands Geography of the Marshall Islands The Marshalls consist of 29 atolls and five isolated islands, which form two parallel groups—the "Ratak" (sunrise) chain and the "Ralik" (sunset) chain. The Marshalls share maritime boundaries with Micronesia and Kiribati. Two-thirds of the nation's population lives in Majuro and Ebeye. The outer islands are sparsely populated due to lack of employment opportunities and economic development. Location: Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea Geographic coordinates: Map references: Oceania Area: <br>"total:" 181.3 km² <br>"land:" 181.3 km² <br>"water:" 0 km²
History of the Marshall Islands to abandon their islands in decades, not centuries, as previously thought". A report in mid 2017 by Stanford University, some 70 years after 23 atomic bombs were detonated on Bikini Atoll, indicates abundant fish and plant life in the coral reefs. That area of the islands was still not habitable by humans, however, due to contamination by radioactivity. A 2012 report by the United Nations had indicated that the contamination was "near-irreversible". History of the Marshall Islands Micronesians settled the Marshall Islands in the 2nd millennium BC, but there are no historical or oral records of that period. Over time,