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Coordinates: 7°05′N 171°23′E / 7.083°N 171.383°E / 7.083; 171.383

Majuro
Capital city
Area
• Total	9.7 km2 (3.7 sq mi)
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Population (2011)	27,797
	[1]

Majuro (/ˈmædʒəroʊ/; Marshallese: Mājro [mʲæzʲ(ɛ͡ʌ)rˠɤ͡oo̯]^[2]) is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll has a land area of 9.7 square kilometres (3.7 sq mi) and encloses a lagoon of 295 square kilometres (114 sq mi). As with other atolls in the Marshall Islands, Majuro consists of narrow land masses.

The main population center, Delap-Uliga-Djarrit (DUD), is made up of three contiguous motus and has a population of 20,301 people as of 2012^[update]. Majuro has a port, shopping district, hotels, and an international airport.

Geography

Schematic overview of Majuro

At the western end of the atoll, about 50 kilometres (30 mi) from D–U–D by road, is the island community of Laura, an expanding residential area with a popular beach.^[3] Laura has the highest elevation point on the atoll, estimated at less than 3 metres (10 feet) above sea level.^[4]

Djarrit is mostly residential.^[5]

Climate

Being slightly north of the Equator, Majuro has a tropical climate, more specifically an equatorial climate. Temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the course of the year with average temperatures around 27 °C (81 °F). Very rarely does the temperature fall below 21 °C (70 °F).^[5] Majuro sees roughly 3,200 millimetres (126 in) of precipitation annually.

History

Lagoon side with native dwellings

Humans have inhabited the atoll for at least 2,000 years.^[8]

Majuro Atoll was claimed by the German Empire with the rest of the Marshall Islands in 1884, and the Germans established a trading post. As with the rest of the Marshalls, Majuro was captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1914 during World War I and mandated to the Empire of Japan by the League of Nations in 1920. The island then became a part of the Japanese mandated territory of Nanyo; although the Japanese had established a government in Nanyo, local affairs were mostly left in the hands of traditional local leaders until the start.

The Fifth Fleet at anchor at Majuro, 1944

On January 30, 1944, United States troops invaded, but found that Japanese forces had evacuated their fortifications to Kwajalein and Enewetak about a year earlier. A single Japanese warrant officer had been left as a caretaker. With his capture, the islands were secured. This gave the U.S. Navy use of one of the largest anchorages in the Central Pacific. The lagoon became a large forward naval base of operations and was the largest and most active port in the world until the war moved westward when it was supplanted by Ulithi (Yap, Federated States of Micronesia).^[9]

Following World War II, Majuro came under the control of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. It supplanted Jaluit Atoll as the administrative center of the Marshall Islands, a status that it retains after the independence of the Marshall Islands in 1986.

Demographics

The major population centers are the D–U–D communities: the islets of Delap–Uliga–Djarrit (listed from south to north, on the eastern edge of the atoll).^{[citation needed]} As of 2011^[update], Majuro had a population of 27,797.^[1]

Religion

Most of the population is Christian.^[10] The majority follows the United Church of Christ. The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands is located in Majuro.^[11]

Islamic influence has been increasing. There is a sizable number of Ahmadi Muslims.^[5] The first mosque opened in Majuro in September 2012.^[12]

There are also LDS churches, Baptist churches, Seventh-Day Adventist churches, and the Salvation Army.^[13]

Economy

Majuro's economy is driven by the service sector.^[10]

On September 15, 2007, Witon Barry, of the Tobolar Copra processing plant in the Marshall Islands' capital of Majuro, said power authorities, private companies and entrepreneurs had been experimenting with coconut oil as an alternative to diesel fuel for vehicles, power generators and ships. Coconut trees abound in the Pacific's tropical islands. Copra from 6 to 10 coconuts makes 1 litre of oil.^[14]

Air Marshall Islands has its headquarters in Majuro.^[15]

Education

Colleges and universities

Students at the Majuro Cooperative School raise the Republic of Marshall Islands flag at a ceremony during a Pacific Partnership 2009 community service project

The College of the Marshall Islands is located in Uliga.

The University of South Pacific has a presence on Majuro.^[10]

Primary and secondary schools

Marshall Islands Public School System operates public schools.

High schools:^[16]

• The Marshall Islands High School is near the north end of Majuro.


• Laura High School


• Life Skills Academy

Primary schools:^[17]

• Ajeltake Elementary School


• Delap Elementary School


• DUD Kindergarten


• Ejit Elementary School


• Laura Elementary School


• Long Island Elementary School


• Majuro Middle School


• Rairok Elementary School


• Rita Elementary School


• Uliga Elementary School


• Woja Maj. Elementary School

In the 1994-1995 school year Majuro had 10 private elementary schools and six private high schools.^[18]

There is a Seventh Day Adventist High School and Elementary School in Delap, where English is taught to all students.^[19]

There is a Seventh Day Adventist Elementary school in Laura where English is taught to all students.^{[citation needed]}

Health

Majuro Hospital has 81 beds.^[20] It is the main hospital for Majuro, as well as many of the outer islands; the only other major hospital is in Ebeye.^[13]

Infrastructure

Water and sewage

The Majuro Water and Sewer Company obtains water from a catchment basin on the International Airport runway. It supplies 140,000,000 US gallons (530,000,000 l; 120,000,000 imp gal) a year or 14 US gallons (53 l; 12 imp gal) per person per day. This compares with New York City's 118 US gallons (450 l; 98 imp gal) per person per day. Water is supplied 12 hours daily. The threat of drought is commonplace.^[21]

Transport

Air

Marshall Islands International Airport, offering domestic and international services, is on Majuro Atoll. It is served by four passenger airlines: United Airlines, Nauru Airlines, Air Marshall Islands, and Asia Pacific Airlines.^[22]

Air Marshall Islands flies to most of the Marshalls' inhabited atolls once a week.^[23] It offers daily service between Majuro and Kwajalein except Thursdays and Sundays.^[24]

Sea

Majuro Lagoon is an active port. The Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation operates three ships (Aeaman, Langdrik, Ribuukae) and a landing craft (Jelejeletae). These vessels are the main link for transporting people and supplies to and from the outer islands.^{[citation needed]}

Additionally, the lagoon acts as a harbor for commercial fishing vessels, cruisers, sport fishing boats, outrigger canoes and the occasional luxury yacht.^{[25][citation needed]}

Roads

Most of the roadway from Djarrit to Laura is a single two-lane paved road.^{[citation needed]}

Sport

Majuro was initially scheduled to host the seventh edition of the Micronesian Games, in 2010. It subsequently renounced its hosting rights, citing a lack of adequate infrastructure.^[26][27]

There is an Olympic committee in Majuro. Weightlifter Mattie Langtor Sasser participated in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, competing in the Women's 58 Kg category on August 8.^[28] She was competing for the Marshall Islands.

Twin towns – sister cities

Majuro is twinned with:

• 
  Guam, United States, since 1973


• 
  Kawai, Nara, Japan


• 
  Taipei, Taiwan, since 1999^[29]
  

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Majuro.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Majuro.

• Marshall Islands site


• 
  Entry at Oceandots.com at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 2010)


• Recent photos of the rural portions of Majuro


• World War II photos of Majuro


• Battle of Kwajalein and Enewetak