Interesting Fact

The Marshall Islands is officially called the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It is geographically part of the larger island group of Micronesia. It has a total area of 181 sq km and a population of 68,000. The islands were originally settled in 2000 BCE by Micronesian colonists. They were conquered by multiple nations in the course of history, and was most recently taken over by the United States during WWII. It was part of the US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and gained sovereignty in 1986. It is now in free association with the United States and receives economic, social, and military support from the US.

The US tested 67 nuclear weapons in the nuclear island, including the largest nuclear test ever conducted by the US. $759 million was paid to Marshallese citizens in compensation for radioactive exposure.