Information on Micronesia...

Micronesia means "small islands". These beautiful tropical islands are situated 5,150 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, and about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Indonesia. Micronesia is spread over 3 million miles of the Pacific and includes over 2000 islands. The distance from one end of Micronesia to the other is 2,040 nautical miles.   

The Federated States of Micronesia is a group of self-governing islands within the geographical area of Micronesia. The four states--Kosrae, Pohnpei (formerly Ponape), Chuuk (formerly Truk), and Yap were formerly part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands(in 1947). In 1979 the islands became self-governing as the Federated States of Micronesia. In 1986 the Micronesian islands assumed free-association status with the U.S. and will become independent nations by the year 2000.
The Marshall Islands will constitute another nation while the Marianas, which include Guam, Saipan and Tinian, will remain United States territories.

Guam

Guam is the largest Micronesian island, with a land area of 212 square miles and 153,307 people (1995). Formed by the union of two volcanoes, northern Guam is a flat limestone plateau while the southern part is mountainous. Guam's population is highly diverse, with residents from throughout Asia and the Pacific as well as a substantial number of U.S. military and their dependents. As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Guam's people hold U.S. citizenship and are free to immigrate to the United States. Tourism, especially from Japan, is the major private industry. Guam's strong economy and job market attract many immigrants from the Philippines and Micronesia.

Saipan

Saipan is a beautiful tropical island in the Northern Pacific Ocean. It's about 16 miles long (North to South) and 8 miles wide (East to West). The native inhabitance here all called Chamorro.

Chuuk

Chuuk State comprises the volcanic islands in the Chuuk Lagoon and some 24 outer-island atolls--in all, some 290 islands. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM states, with 53,000 people and a land area of 49 square miles. It is a world famous spot for divers, with a sunken WWII Japanese fleet to explore.

Pohnpei

Pohnpei State is made up of one large volcanic island and six inhabited atolls, with most of its 133 square miles on Pohnpei island. Its population is 33,346 (est. 1993). Pohnpei State is the national capital of the FSM and site of the Community College of Micronesia. Pohnpei is a beautiful and fertile island with much local agriculture and a growing tourism industry. It is also gaining a reputation for its gourmet pepper.

Yap

Yap State consists of one volcanic complex of four islands plus eleven inhabited outer islands and atolls, with a total land area of 46 square miles. Two-thirds of its estimated 10,886 (1993) population live on Yap proper. Yap is one of the most traditional island groups of the Pacific. The three languages of Yap State are Yapese, Ulithian, and Woleaian.

Kosrae

Kosrae State is one volcanic island of 43 square miles with 7,435 people (est. 1996). Kosrae has a wet tropical climate and many rivers and waterfalls. It is almost exclusively rural with a subsistence economy.

Republic of Palau

The Republic of Palau is the westernmost jurisdiction in Micronesia, less than 500 miles from the Philippines. It consists of several hundred volcanic islands and a few coral atolls but only eight islands are inhabited, with a population of 17,285 people (est. 1995). The land area is 177 square miles. Palau's main economic strengths are in its marine resources, agriculture, and tourism potential; none of these has been fully developed and the U.S. provides most of Palau's finances.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands consists of two chains of 29 coral atolls and five low islands stretching several hundred miles from north to south with a total land area of 70 square miles and a population of 50,000 (est. 1992). The Republic, formerly a Trust Territory, entered into a compact of free association with the United States in October, 1986. One mainstay of the economy is the U.S. space tracking station on Kwajalein, but the Marshalls are also developing their agriculture and marine resources.

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