Prehistory
The Marshall Islands were probably colonized from the middle of the second millennium BC. of Melanesian people groups, such as introduced pottery of lapita nature (compare lapita culture). However, as in Polynesia, the ceramic tradition died out after the initial stage.
- Countryaah: Check to see the location of Marshall Islands on the world map. Also covers major mountains, rivers and lakes in Marshall Islands.
History
The Marshall Islands were discovered by Spanish seafarers in 1529, but were named after the British explorer John Marshall, who visited the islands in 1788. Spain formally claimed sovereignty in 1874, which was recognized in 1886, the year after Germany declared the Marshall Islands as a German protectorate. In 1898, however, Spain sold the islands to Germany. In 1914, the Marshall Islands were occupied by Japan, which in 1919 received the NF’s assignment to administer the islands. To see more information other than history, please visit Abbreviationfinder to learn more about climate, population, government, and economy for the country of Marshall Islands.
During the Second World War, after fierce fighting, the United States took control of the Marshall Islands from Japan, and in 1947, the Marshall Islands became part of the United States Pacific Island Administration with the United States in charge. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States conducted over sixty nuclear tests on the islands of Bikini and Enewetak. The population was forced evacuated; only in the early 1980s did the population of Enewetak return after extensive remediation. Nuclear weapons tests sparked strong protests, and demands for independence were raised.
In 1979, the Marshall Islands gained internal independence and 1986 full independence, though with voluntary association with the United States. In the search for alternative sources of income, in 1996, Marshall Islands President Amata Kabua (1928-96) presented the proposal that the Marshall Islands should make available an atoll for final storage of other countries’ nuclear waste. The project could raise money for the continued decontamination of radioactivity on the islands of Bikini and Enewetak.