The group lies some 4100km (2500mi) southeast of Japan, 4100km (2500 mi) southwest of Hawaii and 3000km (1900mi) northeast of Papua New Guinea. Its nearest neighbors are the other Micronesian states of Pohnpei and Kosrae, 1000km (650mi) and 650km (400mi) to the south, respectively, and Guam and the Northern Marianas, about 2500km (1500mi) to the west.

The Marshalls consist of low coral limestone and sand islands and islets, the vast majority of which form scattered atolls. Only five are single islands. The islands are particularly narrow, with the widest, Wotje, less than a mile across. They have little fertile topsoil and are devoid of rivers. Their lowest points are their beaches and their highest - an unnamed hillock on Likiep, measuring 10m (34ft) - scarcely shows on the horizon. The country's average elevation is 2m (7ft) above sea level.

In Majuro, the average daily temperature is 81°F (27°C), with the chilliest moments coming during the rainy season, from September through November. The driest period is January through March; June to August are the hottest months. Water temperatures remain around 80°F (26°C) year-round. Mild trade winds and tropical showers are the daily norm, full-blown tropical storms and typhoons are rare.

Hundreds of species of coral can be found in the Marshalls' atolls, as well as 250 species of reef fish and all five of the world's species of marine turtles. Whales, dolphins and porpoises also visit the islands' warm waters. Some 70 bird species have been identified, including over 30 species of seabirds. The Polynesian rat is the only mammal native to the islands, while of reptiles you can see a half dozen species of lizards and one species of blind snake. Coconut land crabs are common and prized for their meat.

The coconut palm tree is Micronesia's most important plant. Copra, the dried meat of the nut from which coconut oil is made, is among the country's leading exports. Other Marshallese flora includes breadfruit, pandanus, taro, arrowroot, yams, pumpkins, tapioca and bananas. As almost all the islands' lands are privately owned by families and clans, there are no national parks or reserves.

In the decades since the American government stopped its nuclear testing there, the US Department of Energy and California's Lawrence Livermore Laboratory have done extensive research on Bikini. Their reports tell us that the environment poses no danger to visitors.

For more information on Nature & Environment, go to:

• Climatology
  • Non-traditional settlement patterns and typhoon hazard on contemporary Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann)
  • Recalling the Typhoon of 30 June 1905 and its aftermath (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann)
  • Stormy Years. On the Association between the El Niño/Southern Oscillation phenomenon and the occurrence of typhoons in the Marshall Islands (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann and G Marschner): An analysis of the historic record of typhoons in the Marshall Islands has identified a significant association between the occurrence of the El Niño/Southern oscillation phenomenon (ENSO) and the occurrence of typhoons in the Marshall Islands. Whilst typhoons normally occur further to the east, the warming of the ocean waters around the Marshall Islands, as part of the ENSO phenomenon, generates typhoons further to the west.
    The results suggest that typhoons are 2.6 times more likely to occur during ENSO years, with a 71% chance of a typhoon striking during an ENSO year, and only a 26% chance of one happening during a non-ENSO year. This has implications for planning and public safety, which the relevant authorities may wish to take note of. [PDF document, Full text, download here (675 kb)]
  • Hindcasting the Effects of Typhoons in Micronesia using German Colonial Records (Web-based Presentation) (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann) - WARNING: The slide show is quite heavy on images, some of which may be slow to load.

• Botany
  • Plants and their uses in the Marshalls -- Medicinal Plants (compiled by Dirk H.R. Spennemann): Table of plants, their Marshallese names and their traditional uses as medicinal plants
  • Plants and their uses in the Marshalls -- Food Plants (compiled by Dirk H.R. Spennemann): Table of plants, their Marshallese names and their traditional uses as food plants
  • Plants and their uses in the Marshalls -- Plants used for construction and tools (compiled by Dirk H.R. Spennemann): Table of plants, their Marshallese names and their traditional uses for house and boat construction as well as the manufacture of tools
  • Traditional utilization of Mangroves in the Marshall Islands (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann): Mangroves are shoreline plants thriving in brackish seawater. Traditionally, the wood and the propagules were used for various purposes. Mangroves, mainly Brugiera sp. were planted by the Marshallese for coastal protection and the consolidation of newly created land.

• Zoology
  • Marshallese Naming of Birds (compiled and edited by Dirk H.R. Spennemann): As with many traditional cultures, the Marshallese view of the avifauna can be split into two categories: those birds either edible or useful, and those birds with are neither.
  • The occurrence of owls in the Marshall Islands (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann): Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) are capable of crossing long stretches of open water and have been successful colonisers of islands. In the Central Pacific two established populations (on Hawai¹i and on Pohnpei in Micronesia) seem to be the foci of repeated dispersal events. The paper reviews the historic and linguistic record for the occurrence of owls on the scattered atolls of the Marshall Islands, the easternmost group of Micronesia
  • Notes on the Avifauna of Ebon Atoll, Marshall Islands (by Dirk H.R. Spennemann and Hemley Benjamin): The avifauna of Ebon Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is reviewed, using modern sightings as well as historical and modern records. The species variety is found more abundant than so far reported.
  • Holocanthus diacanthus (former Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg) - Type Specimens of Fishes
  • Lethurus bonhamensis (former Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg) - Type Specimens of Fishes, collected by Johann Kubary (?) at Jaluit
  • Naseus vlamingii (former Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg) - Type Specimens of Fishes, collected by Johann Kubary (?) at Jaluit
  • Apogon graeffii (former Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg) - Type Specimens of Fishes, collected by Johann Kubary (?) at Majuro
  • Serramus medurensis (former Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg) - Type Specimens of Fishes, collected by Johann Kubary (?) at Majuro
  • Zanchus cornutus (former Museum Godeffroy, Hamburg) - Type Specimens of Fishes, collected by Johann Kubary