Front:
Republic of the
Marshall Islands
HINGTON
SEP
28
1990
USA25
20066
Chuis Calle
DC
FREE ASSOCIATION
Back:
REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS/US
COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION
First Day of Issue: September 28, 1990
First Issue Location: Washington, D.C.
Life, for the Marshall Islander, comes from the sea. To
survive, one must adapt to the whims of the ocean and be
able to take on its challenges. Everywhere is water. Even
the highest atoll in the Marshall Islands rises a bare twenty
feet above the level of high tide. Yet early on, the
fishermen of the islands learned how to live with the
saltwater, to travel among the islands and islets which
make up the Republic. To successfully cross the vast
expanse of water between the two strings of atolls, they
developed a unique tool. Called a stick-chart, this instru-
ment plotted the location of various islands by studying
the patterns of waves. Today, over 40,000 people live in
the Republic of the Marshall Islands. They have been
internally self-governing since 1979, when the voters
approved a constitution. The final step towards independ-
ence was made possible by the signing of the Compact of
Free Association in 1982, which came into force when
he United Nations Trust Territory was dissolved in 1986.
No. 90-36
©1990 The Maximum Card Collection
A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY. 82008-0007
® Original painting by Chris Calle
