The Republic of the Marshall Islands is an island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean, situated roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The country is composed of 29 low-lying coral atolls and five isolated islands, which are organized into two nearly parallel chains: the Ratak (Sunrise) chain to the east and the Ralik (Sunset) chain to the west. These chains encompass a total of roughly 1,225 individual islands and islets, yet the actual land area is remarkably small. The nation's geography is defined by its vast maritime territory, which covers nearly 2 million square kilometers of the Pacific, making it one of the world's largest archipelagic states by water-to-land ratio.

The geological formation of the Marshall Islands is characterized by coral atolls, which are ring-shaped coral reefs that encircle a central lagoon. These atolls sit atop the peaks of ancient, submerged volcanic mountains that rose from the ocean floor millions of years ago. As the volcanoes subsided, coral growth kept pace with the rising sea levels, creating the narrow strips of land seen today. Because these islands are coral-based, the highest point in the entire country is only about 10 meters above sea level on Likiep Atoll. This extreme low elevation makes the nation exceptionally vulnerable to high-tide flooding and storm surges, as there is no high ground to retreat to during severe weather events.

Majuro is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands, located on the atoll of the same name in the Ratak Chain. The atoll consists of a very thin, 40-kilometer-long strip of land that wraps around a large, shimmering lagoon. In some parts of Majuro, the land is so narrow that a person can stand in the middle of the road and see the crashing waves of the open Pacific Ocean on one side and the calm waters of the lagoon on the other. Majuro serves as the country's primary economic and political hub, housing the national parliament (the Nitijela), the international airport, and the main commercial shipping port that connects the islands to global trade routes.