Chapter 2 BACKGROUND 2.1 Nature of the Islands The Marshall Islands, which comprise the eastern part of Micronesia, are about halfway between Hawaii and the Philippines. ‘The Marshalls consist of 29 coral atolls and 5 coral islands having a total land area of only 70 square miles (Pigure 1). ‘Zach atoll consists of many separate islands connected by coral reefs that usually form an enclosure around a central lagoon. The temperature in the Marshalls averages about 80°F with little seasonal variation. The northern islands receive about60 inches of rain annually and the southern islands, about three times that amount, but moisture rapidly drains out of the soil and the islands are relatively arid. The amount of rainfall also varies considerably from year to year in the northern islands and droughts are common. Food crops consist of coconut, pandanus, arrowroot, and bread fruit. Pamine conditions are not infrequent because of drought even though the reefs and lagoons provide a stable source of marine food (Tobin 13967). 2.2 Normal Economy . . Prior to World War II, the economy of the Marshalls was based on subsistence crops and fishing, supplemented by the export of copra (the dried meat of the coconut). This continues to be the case today on most of the islands; however, government activities at Majuro and at the missile range on Kwajalein are now major sources of employment and, hence, of income for the people in the Marshalis. In 1977, the total population of the islands was estimated at about 25,000. Of these, 8,000 were at Majuro and 5,000 on Ebye Island at Kwajalein. A portion of the money earned by Marshallese employed at these two centers filters back to the subsistence-based islands. Pre- gumably, the economy at Enewetak after resettlement will be based on subsistence crops and fishing, incomes from relatives employed at Majuro and Kwajalein, export crops (initially nonexistent), and U.S. support programs insofar as they continue to exist after independence. 2.3 Enewetak Atoll Enewetak is a typical atoll (Figure 2); 40 islands surround an elliptical lagoon 23 miles long and 17 miles wide. The total land area is only 2.26 square miles. 9008321