Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands are situated in the centre of the Pacific, north of the equator. They were settled by Micronesians several thousand years ago. The islands became part of the protectorate of German New Guinea in 1885, and were conquered by Japan in World War I. After World War II, the Marshall Islands were added to the USA’s Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Independence was achieved in 1990, after a period of free association with the USA. The islands were used by the US for nuclear testing until 1962. Many inhabitants suffered from high radiation levels. At the sixth assembly of the WCC in 1983 in Vancouver, a young Marshallese woman affected by three tumours, Darleen Keju-Johnson, gave a moving testimony of her condition and her struggle for a nuclear-free Pacific. The economy of the Marshall Islands is based on small farming and some processing industry. Christianity came to the islands in the 19th century. The largest churches are United Church of Christ – Congregational, and the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal).