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MARSHALL ISLANDS
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See also:MARSHALL ISLANDS , an See also:island See also:group in the western Pacific Ocean (See also:Micronesia) belonging to See also:Germany. The group consists of a number of atolls ranged in two almost parallel lines, which run from N.W. to S.E. between 4° and 15° N. and 161° and 174° E. The See also:north-See also:east See also:line, with fifteen islands, is called Ratak, the other, numbering eighteen, Ralik. These atolls are of coralline formation and of irregular shape. They rise but little above high-See also:water See also:mark. The highest See also:elevation occurs on the island of Likieb, but is only 33 ft. The See also:lagoon is scarcely more than 150 ft. deep and is accessible through numerous breaks in the See also:reef. On the outward See also:side the See also:shore sinks rapidly to a See also:great See also:depth. The See also:surface of the atolls is covered with See also:sand, except in a few places where it has been turned into See also:soil through the admixture of decayed vegetation. The reef in scarcely any instance exceeds 600 ft. in width. The See also:climate is moist and hot, the mean temperature being 8o• 5o° F. Easterly winds prevail all the See also:year See also:round. There is no difference between the seasons, which, though the islands belong to the See also:northern hemisphere, have the highest temperature in See also:January and the lowest in See also:July. Vegetation, on the whole, is very poor. There are many coco-See also:nut palms, See also:bread-See also:fruit trees (Artocarpus incise), various kinds of bananas, yams and taro, and pandanus, of which the natives eat the seeds. From the bark of another plant they manufacture mats. There are few animals. See also:Cattle do not thrive, and even poultry are scarce. Pigs, See also:cats, See also:dogs and rats have been imported. There are a few pigeons and aquatic birds, butterflies and beetles. See also:Crustacea and See also:fish abound on the reefs.
The natives are Micronesians of a dark See also: They are See also:expert navigators, and construct curious charts of thin strips of See also:wood tied together with See also:fibres, some giving the position of the islands and some the direction of the prevailing winds. Their canoes carry sails and are made of the See also:trunk of the bread-fruit See also:tree. The See also:people are divided into four classes, of which only two are allowed to own See also:land. The islands See also:lie entirely within the See also:German See also:sphere of See also:interest, and the boundaries were agreed upon between Great See also:Britain and Germany on the loth of See also:April 1889. Their See also:area is estimated at 16o sq. m., with 15,000 inhabitants, who are apparently increasing, though the contrary was long believed. All but about 250 are natives. The See also:administrator of the islands is the See also:governor of German New See also:Guinea, but a number of officials reside on the islands. There is no military force, the natives being of peaceful disposition. The See also:chief island and seat of See also:government is Jaluit. The most populous island is Majeru, with 1600 inhabitants. The natives are generally pagans, but a See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:mission has been established, and the See also:American Mission See also:Board maintains coloured teachers on many of the islands. There is communication with See also:Sydney by private steamer, and a steamer sails between Jaluit and Ponape to connect with the See also:French boats for See also:Singapore. The chief products for export are See also:copra, See also:tortoise-See also:shell, See also:mother-of-See also:pearl, sharks' fins and trepang. The natives are See also:clever See also:boat-builders, and find a See also:market for their canoes on neighbouring islands. They have made such progress in their See also:art that they have even built seaworthy little schoonersof 30 to 40 tons. The only other articles they make are a few shell ornaments.
The Marshall Islands may have been visited by Alvaro de See also:Saavedra in 1529, See also:Captain See also:Wallis touched at the group in 1767, and in 1788 Captains Marshall and See also: Marshalltown is served ' by the See also:Chicago & North-Western, the Chicago Great Western, and the Iowa Central See also:railways, the last of which has See also:machine shops here. At Marshalltown are the Iowa soldiers' See also:home, supported in See also:part by the Federal Government, and St. See also:Mary's See also:institute, a Roman Catholic commercial and business school. The city is situated in a See also:rich. agricultural region, and is a market for See also:grain, neat cattle, horses and See also:swine. There are See also:miscellaneous manufactures, and in 1905 the factory product was valued at $3,090,312. The See also:municipality owns and operates its waterworks and its electric-See also:lighting plant. Marshalltown, named in See also:honour of Chief See also:Justice See also: Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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