Alex Retraubun, 47, decided to take on the momentous task, which includes a visit to each atoll, in order to give each one in the archipelago nation a proper identity, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday.

"How can you make good policy if the majority of the islands don't have a clear identity?" Retraubun said.

Retraubun's visit to each island is made necessary by a United Nations regulation requiring every geographical name be based in part on local pronunciations and names.

The ministry official said collecting the data is crucial as many of the islands are so small that rising sea levels may soon place them underwater.

"If that happens, I'll know exactly which islands have disappeared and which have not," Retraubun said, "because we'll have the data."