Marshall Islands - Marshallinseln

The Marshall Islands lie in Oceania.

Regions

The most important island and main tourist destination is the Majuro Atoll, made up of 53 islets. The coral banks are barely half a kilometer wide.

Cities

• Majuro with the three districts Delap, Uliga, Darrit - capital

Other goals

The western group of the Marshall Islands is called Ralik, the eastern Ratak.

Outer Islands

These islands are usually visited for diving or fishing as part of a tour to be booked on the Majuro. There are also military history tours.

Prohibition prevails on many small islands. Accommodation is only available on the Arno, Bikini, Rongelap, Jaluit and Likiep atolls. Every traveler must decide for himself whether a visit to Bikini makes sense in view of the radioactive exposure to strontium-90 as a result of American atomic bomb tests.

Kwajalein Atoll

A special permit from the American military is required to visit the Kwajalein Atoll. American weapons of mass destruction have been tested in the lagoon for sixty years and the environment has been contaminated accordingly. The indigenous labor employed there is packed on 31 hectares of the Ebeye Atoll, which is six kilometers to the north.

background

The Marshall Islands were a German colony from 1899 to 1919, after which they were administered as a mandate area of ​​the League of Nations of Japan, which led to them being drawn into the Pacific War from 1941 to 1945. Until independence they were then controlled by the USA, on which they are still economically dependent today.

getting there

Entry requirements

The Marshall Islands do not have a diplomatic mission in Europe, it is responsible Embassy in Washington DC. However enter it

• consulate, Seehofstrasse 4, CH-8008 Zurich. Tel.: (0)44 - 251 8760. last change: not specified

Since June 2016, citizens of the Schengen countries have been able to visit the Marshall Islands without a visa. Proof of onward travel and sufficient funds is required. Business travelers need a visa (B-1, valid for up to 2 years). There is discrimination against AIDS sufferers. A negative HIV and TBC test is compulsory if you are staying for more than 30 days, if you intend to take up work or apply for a residence permit. For people who have a visa-on-arrival get (non-EU Europeans: Swiss, Liechtensteiners) is that Health certificate as well as regulation, such as a certificate of good conduct stating that the visitor was never sentenced to a prison term of more than one year. Both documents must be translated into English.

Stay extensions are available for a fee from the “Office of the Attorney General” in Majuro (☎ 692 625-3244 / 8245).

Customs regulations

Duty-free amounts are 300 cigarettes, 75 cigars or 8 ounces (approx. 250 g) smoking tobacco, plus 2 liters of alcohol (over 21).^[1]

There are export bans for corals, turtle shells, etc.

Ship travelers

Sailing yachts have to register their passenger list 24, better 72 hours in advance by email. Entry is only permitted at the RRE Shoreline Dock. Outside of the office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, a heavy overtime surcharge is levied.

There is Mieco Beach Yacht Club, Majuro.

By plane

Flight times to Majuro International Airport (MAJ) are around eleven hours of Tokyo, eight of Guam and five of Hawaii. United Airlines ends here with an “island hopper service” on the way between Guam and Hawaii.

Air Nauru flies once a week with stopovers from Nadi (1st half of 2017).

A departure tax of US $ 20 will be charged if the traveler is under 60 years of age.

By boat

Sailors lay first on Shoreline Dock District of Uliga from Majuro. From there you take a taxi to the customs office Capital building then to the immigration office about a kilometer away Mako Building. Ordinary clothing is welcome at the office. Fee per yacht US $ 200; if you arrive outside of normal office hours or on public holidays, high “overtime surcharges” are due.

Individual islands are called at to supply five government-owned freighters, which also take passengers. Departure times are to be inquired on site. In Majuro is from Uliga Dock filed.

mobility

The state Air Marshall Islands worried, not always reliable, operations from Majuro to the outer islands. In 2016, two machines were bought, so that the fleet now consists of three aircraft and all 21 domestic destinations are served at least once a week. Reconfirmations 24 hours before departure are required.

The roads are tarred only on the large atolls. Taxis only run on Majuro.

languages

Marshallese and English.

to buy

The national currency is the American dollar. Credit cards are accepted in better stores.

The Majuro has one branch each Bank of Marshall Islands and the Bank of Guam. The BOMI also has a “mobile branch” (timetable ☎ 692 625-3636) which is on board the MV Kwajalein makes the rounds around the islands several times a year.

kitchen

Fish and coconuts in variations.

accommodation

There are hotels and guest houses on Majuro and the outer islands mentioned above. On more remote atolls, rooms may be provided in the school or the community center by arrangement.

public holidays

Apart from Christmas, New Years and Easter: March 1st “Remembrance Day;” May 1st "Constitution Day;" 1st Friday in Sept. "Labor Day;" Nov. 17 “Presidents' Day;” 1st Friday in Dec. “Gospel Day.”

security

Police: on Majuro ☎ 625-8666 or 625-6911

Germans are supported in emergencies by the Embassy in Manila supervised (☎ 63 2 702 3000). This also applies to Swiss (☎ 63 2 845 45 45). Austrians must turn to Canberra, Australia (☎ 61 2 6295 1376).

Due to the low altitude above sea level, there are no protection options in the event of a tsunami.

After eating carnivorous reef-dwelling fish, Ciguatera fish poisoning occurs again and again. Although these are almost never fatal, they are extremely unpleasant in the acute state with gastrointestinal problems and because of neurotoxicity. Relapses and chronic symptoms can last for years.

health

The only hospital (☎ 692 625-3632 or 625-3355) with a polyclinic and dentist is located in Majuro in the Delap district. There is a lack of staff, you have to pull a number in the morning and get an appointment. A patient card can be purchased for US $ 17.50 on the first visit.

In the area of ​​the Bikini and Kwajalein atolls, there is increased radiation exposure Strontium-90 etc. Remnants of American nuclear weapons tests.

climate

A lot of rain falls in October / November, the driest time is from January to March.

Post and Telecommunications

The postal service is operated by the US Mail operated. There are three post offices in Majuro and one on Ebeye.

Majuro has been connected to Guam by fiber optic cable since 2010, which ensures a tolerably fast network on the main island. The National Telecommunications Authority sells prepaid cards for logging into hotspots. Prices 10 ¢ / min. or monthly tariffs of US $ 15 for smartphones, US $ 35 for laptops (prices 2014). Telephone and Internet on the outer island is via the satellite-based DAMA-System.

literature

• Johnson, Giff; Idyllic No More: Pacific Island Climate, Corruption and Development Dilemmas; 2015
• Niedenthal, Jack; For the Good of Mankind; Majuro ²2013 (Bravo); ISBN 9789829050021 ; [Bikini nuclear tests from the natives' point of view]
• Rudiak-Gould, Peter; Fallen palm: climate change and culture change in the Marshall Islands; 2010 (VDM Müller); ISBN 9783639159592
• Rudiak-Gould, Peter; Surviving Paradise; New York 2009; ISBN 9781402766640 ; [Report from a young English teacher who spent a year on a small island.]

Web links

• Marshall Islands Guide