Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of the Marshall Islands
Ethnicity
Nearly everyone living in the Marshall Islands is ethnically Marshallese, which is one of many sub-groups that fall under the definition of being Micronesian. The Micronesian people are a combination of Melanesian, Polynesian, and Filipino, but every individual group of Micronesians are more strongly tied to differing groups as some have more similarities to the Polynesians linguistically, ethnically, and culturally, while others are more closely tied to the Filipinos, or Melanesians. Nearly everyone in the Marshall Islands belongs to the same sub-group of Micronesians and their closest relatives are likely the Pohnpeians of the Federated States of Micronesia and the people of the Gilbert Islands in Kiribati.
Language
Marshallese is the official language of the Marshall Islands and nearly everyone speaks this language natively. English is also officially recognized and is the most commonly spoken second language, especially in the tourist industry.