Pearl of the Pacific – Marshall Islands

Asya — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:58:30 +0000

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands are a group of atolls and reefs in Micronesia, about half-way between Hawaii and Australia. Located north of Nauru and Kiribati, these beautiful islands are a collection of 1,225 islands and islets of which only five are single islands. The rest are grouped into 29 coral atolls which together make up more than one-tenth of all the atolls in the world resembling strings of pearls in a blue ocean backdrop.

Â The Spanish explorer de Saavedra landed there in 1529, but named by John Marshall, a passing British explorer, who visited them in 1799. The islands were claimed by Spain in 1874, later colonized by the Germans, invaded and re-colonized by the Japanese and re-invaded and entrusted to the United States. They achieved independence in 1986. Majuro atoll, capital of the Marshall Islands, is the most developed atoll in the Marshalls with a population of nearly 30,000. It consists of extremely narrow land masses which allow a person to walk from the lagoon side to the ocean side within minutes. Majuro offers visitors diving and fishing, a cultural museum, a variety of cuisine and entertaining nightlife. Wherever your visit may take you, be assured that your experience will be rich and memorable.

The Marshall Islands comprises over a million square miles coral islands of white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons, is one of the most unique places in the world to visit. As you can imagine, there is much to enjoy here, both on the beautiful islands and out on the bountiful seas. The islands offer breathtaking marine environments, with over 800 species of fish and 160 species of coral, ample diving and snorkeling opportunities, and a multitude of World War II wrecks and sites unparalleled anywhere in the Pacific.

Approximate flight times: From New York to Majuro is 14 hours; from Tokyo it is 11 and five hours from Honolulu.

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Pearl of the Pacific – Marshall Islands