Laura
Laura is an island in the Majuro Atoll, situated in the Eastern Ratak or "Sunrise" group of islands, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Alternative spellings and historic names include: Majuro, Madjuro, Mahjeruv, and Majro.
As with many place names in Micronesia, Laura is a geographic pars pro toto, in which the name of a constitutive village, island or atoll is often used describe the larger island, atoll or island grouping in which it is the predominate member. "Majuro" is most commonly used for the Atoll as a whole, but has also been used to specify this, the largest island within it. "Laura" is also the name of a town on the Island.
Subunits
Villages in the Island include: Ajeltake (Ajiltake), Arrak (Arurakku), Laura, Woja (Uotjaa)
Population, Language and Religion
The population of 1,547 is predominately Protestant, and the native language is Marshallese.
Administrative History
The Spanish Period (1521-1899) began with initial discovery of the Marshalls, Carolines, and Palau in the early 1500's though Spain made little attempt to occupy or administer any of thee islands until 1885, when the islands were incorporated into the Spanish East Indies.
German traders signed a treaty with Marshallese chiefs in 1878 affording them exclusive use of Jaluit. A German firm, the Jaluit-Gesellsch, hoisted a German flag over the Marshall Islands in 1885. With Germans having occupied the Jaluit Atoll, the Empire was said to have claimed the territory, but administratively it was still primarily a commercial enterprise. In 1902 the German Government assumed direct administration of the Marshalls. After the Spanish-American War, Spain sold the neighboring Palau, and Caroline to Germany in 1899. In this German Period (1899-1914), the Marshalls, Carolines and Palaus were titled Imperial German Pacific Protectorates, administered through German New Guinea.
The Marshalls were seized from the Germans by the Japanese early in World War I. The Islands were in 1920 mandated to Japan by the League of Nations. In this Japanese Period (1914-1941), the Marshalls, Carolines and Palau were governed by the “Nan'yō Cho” or South Seas Government. Koror, in Palau, served as the seat of administration.
Following liberation of the islands in the War in the Pacific, the islands were administered by the US Navy during the USN Period (1945-1947). The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was formalized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 21 in 1947. The Navy passed governing duties to the Department of the Interior in 1951, initiating the TTPI Period (1947-1979).
Traditional Culture
In contrast with the Carolines and Palau, the customary power of the traditional chiefs in the Marshalls was absolute. The most powerful leaders were the two paramount chiefs, one heading each of the two island chains: the Ratak and Ralik. Traditional Marshallese political organization was founded upon the class division between noble and common people. Both groupings had subdivisions with the paramount chief situated at the highest level. Only pre-contact Pohnpei and Kosrae had a degree of social stratification approaching that found in the Marshalls.
In the Marshalls, the traditional leaders are accorded a formal role in the national congress. As members of the national parliament, the Marshallese chiefs have a direct impact on policy and governance. Unlike the Carolines and Palau, in the Marshalls there is a precdent for traditional leaders seeking and holding power government.
Governance
The Legislature in the RMI is a unicameral Parliament ("Nitijela" in Marshallese) comprised of 33 seats. Lawmakers are elected for four-year terms representing either contiguous electoral districts or multi-seat constituencies. In the RMI there is also an upper house, called the Council of Iroij, which operates as an advisory body composed of 12 tribal chiefs. The RMI Executive, or President, is elected by the 33 senators of the Nitijela.
Education
The Local Educational Authority, or LEA, for the Marshall Islands is the RMI Ministry of Education. Primary students are served by the Laura Elementary School.
