Marshall Islands 
 

1875 - 22 Oct 1885       22 Oct 1885 - 1 Apr 1906 Jaluit Company flag                 1 Apr 1906 - 3 Oct 1914                   3 Oct 1914 - Feb 1944                         Feb 1944 - 21 Oct 1986      18 Jul 1947 - 19 Aug 1965 Pacific Is.Trust Terr.      19 Aug 1965 - 1 May 1979 Pacific Is.Trust Terr.                          Adopted 1 May 1979   Map of the Marshall Islands Hear National Anthem  “Rammon Aelin kein am”  (Forever Marshall Islands) Text of National Anthem Anthem Adopted 1991 Constitution (1 May 1979) Capital: Majuro Currency: US Dollar (USD)  National Holiday: 1 May (1979) Constitution Day Population: 63,174 (2008) GDP: $133.5 million (2008) Exports: $19.4 million (2008) Imports: $79.4 million (2008) Ethnic groups: Marshallese 88.5%, U.S. white 6.5%, other Pacific islanders and East Asians 5% (2000) Total Police Force: 102 (1998) Defense is the Responsibility of the U.S. Merchant marine: 1,049 ships (2008) Religions: Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%,  Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%,  none 1.5% (1999)  International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, ADB, APM, CTBT, CTBTO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISA,ITU, KP, NPT, OPCW, PC, PIF, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, WHO Marshall Islands Index Chronology 21 Aug 1526               Discovered and claimed for Spain by Alonso                             de Salazar.  1 Oct 1529               Sighted by Spanish Capt. Antonio Saavedra,                             named Islas de Los Reyes.  30 Jun 1788               Rediscovered by British Capt. John Marshall, named                             the Marshall Islands. 1816                      First visit by Russian Capt. Otto von Kotzebue. 1859                      Germans establish permanent trading stations. 1874                      Spain reasserts its claim to the islands, but                             does begin settlement. 22 Oct 1885               Marshall Islands are sold to Germany by Spain;                             administered by Jaluit Company. 13 Sep 1886               German protectorate formally declared.                             (Kaiserliches Kommissariat Jaluit; from                             1893 Landeshauptmannschaft Jaluit).   1 Apr 1906               Part of German New Guinea (see Papua New Guinea)                             (District of Jaluit [from 1911 Jaluit Station,                             subordinated to district officer in Caroline Is.])  3 Oct 1914               Japanese occupation. 17 Dec 1920               League of Nations mandate (from 1 Apr 1922,                              South Seas Agency; see under Palau). Jul 1921                   Japanese transfer civil administration from                              Chuuk to Koror, Palau. 1935                      Japan declares that the mandated islands are an                             "integral part of the Japanese Empire." 23 Feb 1944               U.S. occupation (see Micronesia)(from 17 Feb 1944                             on Eniwetok, Kwajalein on 4 Feb 1944, Majuro                              on 1 Mar 1944). 18 Jul 1947               Japanese mandate formally revoked; part of the UN                             Trust Territory of the Pacific  Islands                             (see Micronesia).  1 May 1979               Autonomy (Republic of the Marshall Islands). 21 Oct 1986               Trust territory dissolved. 22 Dec 1990               Final independence (Security Council ratifies                             termination of trusteeship). Traditional states

Kommissar
1885 - 1886                Gustav von Oertzen             (b. 1836 - d. 1911)
Kaiserlicher Kommissare (Imperial Commissioners)
1886 -  5 Oct 1887         Wilhelm Knappe                 (b. 1855 - d. 1910)
 5 Oct 1887 - 29 Mar 1889  Franz Leopold Sonnenschein     (b. 1857 - d. 1897)
                             (acting to 14 Apr 1888)
29 Mar 1889 - 14 Apr 1890  Eugen Brandeis (acting)        (b. 1846 - d. 1919) 
                             (1st time)
14 Apr 1890 - Feb 1892     Friedrich Louis Max Biermann   (b. 1856 - d. 1929)
Feb 1892 - 1893            Eugen Brandeis (acting)        (s.a.) 
                             (2nd time)
1893 - 1894                Ernst Schmidt-Dargitz          (b. 1859 - d. 1924)
Landeshauptleute
11 May 1894 - Mar 1898     Georg Irmer                    (b. 1853 - d. 1931)
24 Mar 1898 - 18 Jan 1906  Eugen Brandeis                 (s.a.) 
                             (acting to 22 Feb 1900)
18 Mar 1902 - 1903         von Bunsen (acting for Brandeis)
1903                       Seppert (acting for Brandeis)
18 Jan 1906 - May 1906     Ludwig Kaiser (acting)         (b. 1862 - d. 1906)
 1 Apr 1906 -  3 Oct 1914  the governors of German New Guinea
Bezirksamtmann (District commissioners)
1906 - 30 Apr 1907         Victor Berg                    (b. 1861 - d. 1907)
1907                       Joseph Siegwanz (acting)
1908 - Nov 1909            Wilhelm Stuckhardt             (d. 1909)
Nov 1909 - 1910            Erich Berghausen (interim)
1910 - 1911                Georg Merz
Stationsleiter (Station chief)
1911 -  3 Oct 1914         Georg Merz
                             (deported by Japanese 31 May 1915)
Commanders of Japanese South Seas Squadrons
 3 Oct 1914 - 28 Dec 1914  Tanin Yamaya                   (b. 1866 - d. 1940) 
                           (in occupation of Central and eastern
                            Caroline [from 3 Oct 1914] and Marshall islands)
 7 Oct 1914 - 28 Dec 1914  Tatsuo Matsumura               (b. 1868 - d. 1932)
                           (in occupation of western Caroline, the
                            Northern Marianas [from 14 Oct 1914]
                            and Palau [from 8 Oct 1914] islands)
Governors
28 Dec 1914 -  1 Apr 1922  the commanders of Interim Southern
                           Islands Defense Unit (see Palau)
 1 Apr 1922 -  2 Feb 1944  the Administrators of South
                           Seas Agency (see Palau)
Military Commanders of the 6th Base Force Kwajalein 
Jun 1941 -  1 Feb 1942     Sukeyoshi Yatsushiro            (b. 1890 - d. 1942)
 5 Feb 1942 - 29 Nov 1943  Koso Abe                        (b. 1892 - d. 1947)
Nov 1943 -  2 Feb 1944     Akiyama Monzo                   (b. 1891 - d. 1944)
Presidents
 1 May 1979 - 21 Dec 1996  Amata Kabua                     (b. 1928 - d. 1996)  Non-party
                             (acting to 17 Nov 1979)
21 Dec 1996 - 14 Jan 1997  Kunio D. Lemari (acting)        (b. 1942 - d. 2008)  Non-party
14 Jan 1997 - 10 Jan 2000  Imata Jabro Kabua               (b. 1943)            Non-party
10 Jan 2000 -  7 Jan 2008  Kessai Hesa Note                (b. 1950)            UDP
 7 Jan 2008 - 21 Oct 2009  Litokwa Tomeing                 (b. 1939)            UPP
21 Oct 2009 -  2 Nov 2009  Ruben R. Zackhras (acting)      (b. 1947?)           UDP
 2 Nov 2009 -              Jurelang Zedkaia                                     AKA

Territorial Dispute: Claims U.S. territory of Wake Island.

Party abbreviations (traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties): AKA = Aelon Kein Ad ('Our Islands,' also called the Kabua Party); UDP = United Democratic Party (reformist); UPP = United People's Party