The Marquesas make up one of the five administrative districts of French Polynesia, a territory of France, that also includes the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora, among others), the Austral Islands, the Tuamotus, and the Gambier Islands.  There are 12 islands in the Marquesas, though only six of them are inhabited.  The group has a population of around 9,000 people, mainly of Marquesan Polynesian descent, and the primary languages spoken there are Marquesan and French. 

The Marquesas were found by European explorers in 1595, and were subsequently visited by Captain James Cook in 1774 on his expedition through the South Pacific.  They were made a protectorate of France in 1842, and officially annexed to French Polynesia in 1880.  Today, because of their location northeast of Tahiti, they are often the first port of call for sailors crossing the Pacific from the US and Mexico.  

The economy is based primarily on fishing and agriculture, but, like many other South Pacific islands, is increasingly shifting towards tourism.  Despite this, the Marquesas are still quite remote, and getting there is somewhat difficult and expensive, which, in my opinion, allows this transition to take place in a more paced and sustainable way.