The Marshall Islands, a scattering of atolls and islands in the central Pacific, is often reduced to a footnote in global geopolitics—a tropical paradise overshadowed by its colonial past and nuclear legacy. Yet, this tiny nation of 60,000 people encapsulates some of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change, nuclear justice, and the struggle for sovereignty in an era of great-power competition.
To understand the Marshall Islands is to confront uncomfortable truths about the modern world.
The Marshall Islands’ modern history begins with European colonialism. Germany annexed the islands in 1885, exploiting them for copra (dried coconut meat) production. But World War I reshaped the Pacific: Japan seized control under a League of Nations mandate, turning the islands into military outposts.
By World War II, the Marshall Islands became a battleground. The U.S. invasion of Kwajalein in 1944 marked the beginning of America’s dominance in the region—a dominance that would soon take a devastating turn.
From 1946 to 1958, the U.S. conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, including the infamous Castle Bravo test in 1954—1,000 times more powerful than Hiroshima. Entire atolls were vaporized; radiation poisoned land, sea, and people.
The U.S. government relocated Marshallese from Bikini and Enewetak Atolls, promising they could return. Decades later, many remain exiled, their homelands still uninhabitable. The U.S. paid compensation, but many Marshallese argue it was never enough.
"We were told it was for the good of mankind. But mankind forgot about us."
— A Marshallese elder from Rongelap
Today, the Marshall Islands faces an existential crisis: rising sea levels. Some projections suggest the nation could be uninhabitable by 2050. King tides already flood homes; saltwater intrusion ruins freshwater supplies.
Unlike wealthier nations, the Marshall Islands lacks the resources to build seawalls or relocate its population. Yet, per capita, it contributes almost nothing to global emissions.
Despite its size, the Marshall Islands has become a vocal advocate for climate justice. Former Foreign Minister Tony deBrum helped rally Pacific nations to push for the Paris Agreement. Current leaders continue to demand reparations from polluting nations.
But will the world listen before it’s too late?
The Marshall Islands is caught in a new Pacific power struggle. The U.S. maintains a military base on Kwajalein (critical for missile defense testing) under the Compact of Free Association (COFA), which grants the U.S. defense control in exchange for economic aid.
But China is expanding its influence, offering infrastructure deals and diplomatic overtures. The Marshallese government faces a delicate balancing act—how to secure support without becoming a pawn in a superpower rivalry.
In 2022, the Marshall Islands pushed for a U.N. resolution demanding accountability for nuclear-affected communities. The U.S. opposed it. Meanwhile, nuclear waste buried in Runit Dome (a concrete-capped crater on Enewetak) is leaking, threatening the ocean.
The question remains: Who will take responsibility?
The Marshall Islands’ story is one of resilience. From nuclear devastation to climate peril, its people refuse to be erased. Their fight is not just for survival—it’s a demand for justice in an unequal world.
As sea levels rise and superpowers maneuver, the Marshallese remind us: the fate of small nations is tied to the conscience of the powerful. Will we act before it’s too late?
"Loktanur" (Marshallese for "We are still here.")