Micronesia

Location

• Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia
• composed of four major island groups totaling 607 islands

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Palikir	6,942	Capital

Size

• 271 square miles
• 702 square kilometers
• four times the size of Washington, D.C. (land area only)

History

Each of the four states that compose the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) -- Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap -- has its own unique history and cultural traditions. The first humans arrived in what is now the FSM in the second millennium B.C. In the 800s A.D., construction of the artificial islets at the Nan Madol complex in Pohnpei began, with the main architecture being built around 1200. At its height, Nan Madol united the approximately 25,000 people of Pohnpei under the Saudeleur Dynasty. By 1250, Kosrae was united in a kingdom centered in Leluh. Yap’s society became strictly hierarchical, with chiefs receiving tributes from islands up to 1,100 km (700 mi) away. Widespread human settlement in Chuuk began in the 1300s, and the different islands in the Chuuk Lagoon were frequently at war with one another. Portuguese and Spanish explorers visited a few of the islands in the 1500s, and Spain began exerting nominal, but not day-to-day, control over some of the islands -- which they named the Caroline Islands -- in the 1600s. In 1899, Spain sold all of the FSM to Germany. Japan seized the islands in 1914 and was granted a League of Nations mandate to administer them in 1920. During WWII, Japan built military bases across most of the islands and headquartered their Pacific naval operations in Chuuk. The US bombed Chuuk in 1944 but largely bypassed the other islands in its leapfrog campaign across the Pacific.  In 1947, the FSM came under US administration as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which comprised six districts: Chuuk, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pohnpei, and Yap; Kosrae was separated from Pohnpei into a separate district in 1977. In 1979, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap ratified the FSM Constitution and declared independence while the other three districts opted to pursue separate political status. There are significant inter-island rivalries stemming from their different histories and cultures. Chuuk, the most populous but poorest state, has pushed for secession, but an independence referendum has been repeatedly postponed.

Climate

tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Terrain

islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Languages

English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Religions

Roman Catholic 54.7%, Protestant 41.1% (includes Congregational 38.5%, Baptist 1.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 0.8%, Assembly of God 0.7%), Church of Jesus Christ 1.5%, other 1.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Government

federal republic in free association with the US

• Constitution: history: drafted June 1975, ratified 1 October 1978, entered into force 10 May 1979amendment process: proposed by Congress, by a constitutional convention, or by public petition; passage requires approval by at least three-fourths majority vote in at least three fourths of the statesnote: at least every ten years, voters are asked as part of a general or special election whether to hold a constitution convention; a majority of affirmative votes is required to proceed
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed system of common and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023)head of government: President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023)cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the 8 executive departmentselection/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by Congress from among the 4 'at large' senators for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)most recent election date: 12 May 2023expected date of next election: 2027note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Federated States of Micronesia Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and not more than 5 associate justices and organized into appellate and criminal divisions)judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the FSM president with the approval of two-thirds of Congress; justices appointed for lifesubordinate courts: the highest state-level courts are: Chuuk Supreme Court; Korsae State Court; Pohnpei State Court; Yap State Court
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Congresslegislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 14 (all directly elected)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: partial renewalterm in office: 2 yearsmost recent election date: 3/4/2025percentage of women in chamber: 21.4%expected date of next election: March 2027

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• lower middle-income Pacific island economy; US aid reliance, sunsetting in 2024; low entrepreneurship; mostly fishing and farming; US dollar user; no patent laws; tourism remains underdeveloped; significant corruption
• Budget: revenues: $137.795 million (2020 est.)expenditures: $111.963 million (2020 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: timber, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate
• Industries: tourism, construction; specialized aquaculture, craft items (shell and wood)
• Agricultural Products: coconuts, cassava, vegetables, sweet potatoes, bananas, pork, plantains, fruits, beef, eggs (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 7.1% (2022 est.)arable land: 2.9% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 4.3% (2022 est.)forest: 92.1% (2022 est.)other: 0.8% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: poultry, fish, plastic products, cars, prepared meat (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 35%, China 20%, Japan 13%, Taiwan 6%, Philippines 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: fish, diamonds, garments (2023)note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
• Export Partners: Thailand 64%, China 16%, Philippines 11%, Japan 5%, Ecuador 1% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports