There are many islands in the world with many people that inhabit them. In the islands of Oceania, there is a region in Micronesia called the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
The Marshall Islands are composed of two parallel chains of coral atolls, a ring-like island with a coral reef in the middle. These parallel chains are called the Ralik, Sunrise, and the Ratak, Sunset. The islands have a tropical climate and have many coral reefs surrounding the lagoon. The most populous atolls are Majuro and Kwajalein.
These islands have played a large role in the history of the US military. It became a battlefield during WWII with the US and Japan causing destruction to Kwajalein. They were also used as a nuclear test site during the 1940s. The US held 23 tests from 1946 to 1948. Some of these bombs were as big or even bigger than the Hiroshima bomb. These bombs were also about one thousand times stronger than Hiroshima. The bombs created so much nuclear radiation that still resides today, and is also one of the reasons why so many people have been forced to leave the islands.
The US had abused the Marshall Islands during the time it was part of US territory. During the tests, the US had conducted tests on people without their consent. The aftereffects of the bomb caused malformed babies, scars on the skin, and even increased the risk of cancer, which is still shown today. The people of the Marshall Islands have also been known to get sick more often than usual because of the radiation. The fallout from the nukes fell for about 10 hours or more. Some of these soldiers that were stationed at the islands weren’t informed that they would be having nuclear tests.
Almost all Marshallese are Christians, and part of their culture revolves around their belief. The star on the flag symbolizes their belief in God, which was made on Marshallese Independence Day, also known as May Day. The Marshallese people perform on Holy days such as Easter, Christmas, Palm Sunday, Gospel Sunday, etc.
They sing songs that tell stories from the Bible, and also show their love for Jesus. They create dances, and these dances begin with a maaj (march), and a biit (dance). They move their hands to show actions, and their feet to the beat of the songs and to move in certain directions.
Not only do they sing in churches, but they also sing for special occasions like a kemem, a celebration for the baby’s first birthday. At these events, there is always candy being thrown, money being given to the family hosting the kemem, gifts being given to guests, and food and drinks being served to everyone.
The food of the Marshall Islands all revolve around fish, coconut, and most importantly, rice. Most of the Islands’ incomes come from the fish that they catch and give away.
These islands have also become a place to attract tourists, being tropical, isolated from the rest of the world, and also being a large community with everybody being close to each other. The Marshall Islands are recognized for their unique culture, sad history, and loving people.
