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 tiny islands of Micronesia are the result of volcanic activity millions of years ago. Some are the tips of huge underwater mountains, some of the atolls are the rims of sunken volcano craters which peak above the water surrounding serene lagoons, and some are combinations of both.
The high Islands have dramatic cliff faces which, rise straight from the sea. They are covered in tropical jungle and blessed with sunshine. The beautiful low coral atolls encircle blue-green lagoons. These islands are a paradise for diving and fishing.
Micronesia is a pleasant mix of traditional and the new. Micronesians today, maintain their traditional canoeing skills by recording, preservation and
practice.
The Federated States of Micronesia
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 and will become an independent nation 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.
History
Ferdinand Magellan landed on Guam in 1521, beginning two centuries of Spanish domination in Micronesia. Germany purchased the islands from Spain in 1898.
The Japanese occupied Micronesia in 1914 and in 1920 received the islands as a League of Nations mandate. U.S. forces captured the islands during World War II and, in 1947 they became part of the U.S. Trust Territory. 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.
Some interesting facts about Micronesia
Climate: Tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands;
located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe
damage.
Terrain: Islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral
atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk.
Natural resources: Forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals.
Climate: Tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands;
located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe
damage.
Weather to watch for: Subject to typhoons from June to December.
Details: Four major island, totaling 607 islands.
Nationality: Micronesian(s); Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese.
Ethnic divisions: Nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups.
Religions: Predominantly Christian, divided between Roman Catholic and
Protestant; other churches include Assembly of God, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist, Latter-Day Saints, and the Baha'i
Faith.
Languages: English is the official and common language; most indigenous
languages fall within the Austronesian language family, the
exceptions are the Polynesian languages; major indigenous languages
are Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosraean.
Posts
