May 1: Marshall Islands Independence Day

Today is Marshall Islands Independence day. 10 facts about the Marshall Islands:

1. The Marshall islands consists of 24 low-lying Coral atolls, comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets, and five isolated islands. It is located near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line. The atolls and islands form two groups: the Ratak Chain and the Ralik Chain (meaning "sunrise" and "sunset" chains).
2. The population is 68,480, the most populous atoll being Majuro, which also acts as the capital.
3. The first European to go there was the Spanish explorer Alonso de Salazar in 1526.
4. The flag was designed by Emlain Kabua, who was the first First Lady of the republic. The flag is blue with two diagonal stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner. These lines represent the equator and also the two island chains. They also symbolise peace and courage. The star's 24 points represent the number of electoral districts.
5. Unlike most other countries, the Marshall Islands have no copyright law.
6. Bikini Atoll, famous for being the site of US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958, is part of the Marshall Islands. The name, in Marshallese, means "coconut place". Before the testing, it was inhabited - the Americans resettled the population to Rongerik Atoll, which they accepted, believing that once the testing was completed, they would be able to go home. This wasn't the case, and Rongerik Atoll was not capable of producing enough food for them, so they moved twice more and were heavily compensated by the US. In 1970, it was deemed safe for them to go back, until further testing revealed dangerous levels of strontium-90. Scientists say that it would be safe for them to go back now, but there are only a few of the islanders still living. Most of their descendants have never even visited the place, and are happy enough where they are. The Atoll became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, because it symbolises the beginning of the nuclear age.
7. The economy relies on fishing, and a few agricultural crops: coconuts, Tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit, mostly produced on small farms. Coconut oil is set to become even more important as power companies and entrepreneurs are looking at it as an alternative fuel for vehicles and power plants.
8. Marshallese is the official language, spoken by 43,900 people, but thanks to its close ties with the USA, English is commonly spoken. The two island chains, however, speak dialects of Marshallese which are so different that it is difficult for them to understand each other. Yokwe is a Marshallese greeting which means hello, goodbye and love, similar to the Hawaiian aloha; it is also an expression of sympathy. Its literal, archaic meaning is "You are a Rainbow".
9. It's a great place for Sharks, as it is home to the world's largest shark sanctuary, which covers nearly 2,000,000 square kilometres (772,000 sq mi) of their ocean. Shark fishing is forbidden here, and any sharks caught by accident must be released.
10. The Marshall Islands are famous for their historic stick charts, or navigational maps made from a framework of sticks, with coconut fronds and shells tied to them. The shells represented the islands and the fronds represented ocean swells and currents. Often the only person who could interpret such a chart was the person who made it. Electronic navigational aids introduced after World War II have superseded the stick charts.