Tamera Heine is working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of the Marshall Islands.
The Marshall Islands is a country made of low coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its islands form circles around beautiful blue lagoons, and the land is very narrow and close to sea level. Because of this special geography, the Marshall Islands is one of the countries most affected by climate change and rising sea levels.
Even though the land is small, the Marshall Islands has a very large ocean area, rich with fish and coral reefs. The islands are also located in an important part of the Pacific, between Hawaii and Asia, which makes them a key partner in regional cooperation.
Set like a chain of pearls across the central Pacific, the Marshall Islands form one of the most geographically distinctive and geopolitically meaningful island nations in the world. Although its landmass is small—scattered across 29 atolls and 5 isolated islands—its maritime territory stretches across an ocean area larger than many continents. Geography is not only the defining feature of the Marshall Islands; it is the lens through which its history, culture, vulnerabilities, and strategic relevance must be understood.
At the heart of the nation’s geography lies its atoll structure. Unlike volcanic islands that rise dramatically from the sea, the Marshall Islands sit barely above the surface of the ocean, formed over thousands of years as coral reefs grew around submerged volcanic remnants. These low-lying atolls encircle brilliant turquoise lagoons, creating some of the most visually striking seascapes on Earth. Majuro and Kwajalein, the two best-known atolls, exemplify this delicate architecture: narrow strips of land, often no more than a few hundred meters wide, tracing the outlines of immense inland seas. This geological structure shapes every aspect of life—settlement patterns, livelihoods, transportation, and the persistent struggle against rising sea levels.
Despite their fragile appearance, the Marshall Islands possess a deep ecological richness. Coral reefs support diverse marine species, forming the foundation of local diets, traditions, and livelihoods. The lagoons serve as natural nurseries for fish and other marine organisms, while the atolls themselves offer insights into the evolution of coral ecosystems under conditions of extreme environmental pressure. In this sense, the Marshall Islands function as a living laboratory for scientists studying climate change, ocean chemistry, and the resilience of coral environments.
Yet geography also imposes challenges that few nations experience so acutely. With an average elevation of around two meters above sea level, the Marshall Islands stand at the front line of climate change. Rising seas, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, and increasingly intense storms threaten the very habitability of the islands. For Marshallese leaders, climate diplomacy is not a theoretical concern but an existential mission. Geography has thus propelled the nation into a leadership role in international discussions on climate justice, adaptation, and mitigation. Their voice is powerful not because of landmass or military strength, but because their geography reveals the stakes of planetary change with startling clarity.
Beyond environmental vulnerability, the Marshall Islands hold considerable strategic importance rooted in their location. Situated in the northern Pacific between Hawaii and Southeast Asia, the islands lie along key maritime and aerial routes. Their position has shaped global military strategy since World War II, most notably through the presence of the U.S. Army Garrison on Kwajalein Atoll, which hosts missile testing and space-tracking facilities of global significance. The Compact of Free Association (COFA) between the Marshall Islands and the United States further underscores this strategic relationship, linking geography to defense, migration rights, and development assistance.
Culturally, the Marshall Islands express a profound understanding of the ocean as both a connector and a teacher. Traditional Marshallese navigation—using stick charts, ocean swells, stars, and wave-reflection patterns—is among the most sophisticated indigenous navigation systems in the world. These navigational traditions reveal a worldview grounded not in land but in oceanscape geography, where identity flows across lagoons, currents, and interisland pathways. The people’s cultural resilience, reflected in their maritime expertise, is itself a form of geographic adaptation that has sustained the islands for centuries.
Economically, the Marshall Islands rely on their maritime territory as a source of revenue, especially through fishing rights within their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Their vast ocean resources, combined with their role in regional organizations such as the Pacific Islands Forum, give the Marshall Islands influence that far exceeds their physical land size. In an era of growing interest in ocean governance, digital connectivity across oceans, and blue-economy innovation, the geographic characteristics of the Marshall Islands position them as essential partners in shaping the future of the Pacific.
In sum, the Marshall Islands illustrate how geography can define a nation’s identity, challenges, and global significance. Their atolls reveal a fragile beauty sculpted by coral and time; their culture embodies humanity’s ancient intimacy with the ocean; their vulnerability makes them a moral compass in climate debates; and their location grants them strategic relevance in the Pacific’s geopolitical balance. To understand the Marshall Islands is to appreciate the profound relationship between place and purpose—a relationship that continues to shape not only the islands themselves but also the broader narrative of the Pacific region in the 21st century.
Possibilities for Cooperation with Korea
Korea and the Marshall Islands can work together in many meaningful ways:
-
Climate Change Solutions: Korea’s technology and green energy experience can help the Marshall Islands protect its environment and adapt to rising seas.
-
Marine Science and Fisheries: Korean scientists and students can study coral reefs, ocean ecosystems, and sustainable fishing together with Marshallese experts.
-
Education and Youth Programs: Exchange programs between Korean and Marshallese students can help young people learn about each other’s cultures and geography.
-
Digital and Infrastructure Support: Korea’s strength in IT and engineering can support communication systems, renewable energy projects, and island infrastructure.
