Marshall Islands Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (), are an island country and a United States associated state near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line. Geographically, the country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The country's population of 53,158 people (at the 2011 Census) is spread out over 29 coral atolls, comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets. The islands share maritime boundaries with the Federated States of Micronesia to the west, Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the southeast, and Nauru to the south.
Marshall Islands and the United Nations Marshall Islands and the United Nations The Marshall Islands joined the United Nations on September 17, 1991. Although the Marshall Islands are sovereign, the Republic is bound by a Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Marshall Islands show overwhelming support for the United States. On 13 key issues in 2008, the Marshall Islands matched the vote of the United States 100% of the time. In 2015, however, the Marshall Islands voted to condemn the US embargo over Cuba. The motion at the United Nations was supported by 191 member states, with two votes against (the United States