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MARSHALL ISLANDS
Religion

Religion

Micronesia is almost entirely Christianised. Spanish Catholic missionaries converted the Mariana Islands and the western islands. Protestants from New England, USA, converted the Marshall Islands and the eastern islands. Chuuk, Nauru, Kiribati and Pohnpei have roughly equal numbers of Catholics and Protestants.

In the mid-18th century, the population of the Marshall Islands was converted by the Protestant "Boston Mission". Soon there was nothing left of the old religions. Today, about 90% of the population is Protestant, 8.5% Roman Catholic and 1.5% other religions. There are many Protestant sects active, such as Congregationalists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists and the Assembly of God. The islands also have a large Catholic church, a Baha'i centre, a Salvation Army mission and a rapidly growing Mormon community.


Sources

Galbraith, K. / Micronesia
Lonely Planet

Levy, N.M. / Micronesia handbook Moon

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated March 2024
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