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
Human rights in the Marshall Islands factors. Women's rights are a significant issue in the Marshall Islands "given the absence in the over-arching freedom from discrimination clause of sex or gender as a prohibited ground of discrimination." Furthermore, while the Constitution guarantees equal protection of the law, the CEDAW Legislative Compliance Review noted the Constitution does not guarantee equal benefits or outcomes as required by [CEDAW]. Despite this, the Marshall Islands achieved its 2015 targets relating to gender equality and women's empowerment set by the Millennium Development Goals. Equal age of consent has also existed since 2005. While the Marshall Islands has ratified the Convention on