Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🗺️

Majuro

geography Maturity 11-13 war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Majuro is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Majuro Atoll-USA-P-Gilberts-15
Majuro Atoll-USA-P-Gilberts-15

It is a large coral atoll located in the Pacific Ocean. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef that surrounds a central lagoon. Majuro sits within the Ratak, or Sunrise, Chain of islands. The atoll consists of 64 different islands. Most of these are narrow land masses. The total land area is small compared to the large lagoon it encloses. This geography makes it a vital center for the nation.

The climate in Majuro is a tropical rainforest climate. Because it sits slightly north of the Equator, the weather is very consistent. Trade winds blow through the area most of the year. However, the Intertropical Convergence Zone can interrupt these winds during summer months. This zone is a belt of low pressure near the Equator. Temperatures stay extremely steady throughout the year. The average temperature is around 28 degrees Celsius. The hottest month is only 0.4 degrees Celsius warmer than the coldest month. Rainfall is about 2,800 millimeters annually. The fall season, from September to November, is both the hottest and rainiest time.

Majuro has a long history of human habitation. People have lived there for at least 2,000 years. The first settlers were Austronesian ancestors of the modern Marshallese. Archaeological sites at Laura village provide evidence of this. Excavations of earth ovens show people lived there around the 1st century AD. In the 1870s, Protestant missions and copra trading stations arrived. Copra is dried coconut meat used to make oil. In 1885, the German Empire annexed the atoll. Later, the islands were under Japanese and American administration.

Internal conflicts shaped the history of the atoll in the late 1870s. Two local leaders, Iroij Jebrik and Rimi, fought a war for control.

This conflict caused food shortages by destroying crops and trees. It also slowed down copra production. At least 10 islanders died during this period. A British warship mediated a peace treaty in 1883. After World War I, Japan took control of the islands. During World War II, the United States invaded Majuro in 1944.

US fleet at Majuro Atoll 1944
US fleet at Majuro Atoll 1944

They found that Japanese forces had already evacuated. This gave the U.S. Navy a massive anchorage in the Central Pacific. The lagoon served as the largest and most active port in the world until the war moved west.

Today, Majuro is the administrative heart of the Marshall Islands. It became the capital in 1978 after the islands broke from the Federated States of Micronesia. It replaced Jaluit Atoll as the capital. It is the meeting place of the Nitijeļā, which is the national legislature. The main population center is the D–U–D community. This area is made of three contiguous motus, or islets, named Delap, Uliga, and Djarrit. According to the 2021 census, this area had 23,156 people. Most residents are Marshallese, making up 93.4% of the population. Other groups include Filipinos, I-Kiribati, and Americans.

The economy of Majuro is dominated by the service sector. In 2011, this sector made up 86% of the GDP. The lagoon is a major hub for the fishing industry. It is one of the busiest tuna transshipment ports globally. In 2018, ships moved 306,796 tons of tuna through the port. This process involves moving fish from purse seine vessels to larger carrier vessels. Transportation is also vital. The Air Marshall Islands has its headquarters in the city.

Air Marshall Islands office in Majuro
Air Marshall Islands office in Majuro

The international airport connects Majuro to Hawaii, Guam, and other Pacific nations.

Infrastructure and services support the large population. The Leroij Atama Zedkeia Medical Center is the main hospital. It provides care for Majuro and many outer islands. Education is provided through the Marshall Islands Public School System and the College of the Marshall Islands.

US Navy 090914-N-9689V-001 tudents at the Majuro Cooperative School raise the Republic of Marshall Islands flag at a flag raising ceremony during a Pacific Partnership 2009 community service project
US Navy 090914-N-9689V-001 tudents at the Majuro Cooperative School raise the Republic of Marshall Islands flag at a flag raising ceremony during a Pacific Partnership 2009 community service project

Water is a critical resource. The Majuro Water and Sewer Company collects water from a catchment basin on the airport runway. This provides about 120 liters of water per person each day. However, the threat of drought is a common challenge for the residents.

672 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:Majuro_Atoll-USA-P-Gilberts-15.jpg
Majuro_Atoll-USA-P-Gilberts-15.jpg
File:King Jibberick of Majuro(GN00315) (cropped).jpg
King Jibberick of Majuro(GN00315) (cropped).jpg
File:Lagoon side with native dwellings - Majuro.jpg
Lagoon side with native dwellings - Majuro.jpg
File:US fleet at Majuro Atoll 1944.jpg
US fleet at Majuro Atoll 1944.jpg
File:Air Marshall Islands office in Majuro.jpg
Air Marshall Islands office in Majuro.jpg
File:US Navy 090914-N-9689V-001 tudents at the Majuro Cooperative School raise the Republic of Marshall Islands flag at a flag raising ceremony during a Pacific Partnership 2009 community service project.jpg
US Navy 090914-N-9689V-001 tudents at the...
File:Local Traffic Regulations.png
Local Traffic Regulations.png
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.