Federated States of Micronesia

Early settlement and Nan Madol The ancestors of the Micronesians settled over four thousand years ago. A decentralized chieftain-based system eventually evolved into a more centralized economic and religious culture centered on Yap Island. Nan Madol, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consisting of a series of small artificial islands linked by a network of canals, is often called the Venice of the Pacific. It is located on the eastern periphery of the island of Pohnpei and used to be the ceremonial and political seat of the Saudeleur dynasty that united Pohnpei's estimated 25,000 people from about AD 500 until 1500 when the centralized system collapsed. Following defeat in the Spanish–American War, the Spanish sold the archipelago to Germany in 1899 under the German–Spanish Treaty of 1899. Germany incorporated it into German New Guinea. (A few remote islands, notably Kapingamarangi, were not specifically named in the treaty, but this remained unnoticed until the late 1940s and, while acknowledging the historical curiosity in 1949, Spain has made no modern claims to the islands.) During World War I, it was captured by Japan. Following the war, the League of Nations awarded a mandate for Japan to administer the islands as part of the South Seas Mandate. World War II and the aftermath Operation Hailstone Truk Lagoon served as a significant base for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. In February 1944, the U.S. Navy launched Operation Hailstone, a massive air and surface attack on Truk Lagoon. Over two days, U.S. carrier aircraft and surface vessels targeted Japanese warships, merchant vessels, and shore installations, resulting in the sinking of numerous ships and the destruction of hundreds of aircraft. This operation severely diminished Japan's naval capabilities in the Pacific. U.S. administration under the United Nations Following World War II, the islands of Micronesia were placed under the administration of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. This arrangement was formalized on 2 April 1947, with the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 21, which approved the terms of trusteeship for the Pacific Islands formerly under Japanese mandate. Path to independence On May 10, 1979, four of the Trust Territory districts ratified a new constitution to become the Federated States of Micronesia. Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands chose not to participate. The FSM signed a Compact of Free Association with the United States, which entered into force on November 3, 1986, marking Micronesia's emergence from trusteeship to independence. Independence was formally concluded under international law in 1990, when the United Nations officially ended the Trusteeship status pursuant to Security Council Resolution 683. The Compact was renewed in 2004. In February 2021, due to a bitter leadership dispute, the Federated States of Micronesia announced it would quit the Pacific Islands Forum in its formal process of withdrawal. However, in June 2022, the Suva Agreement was reached and the Federated States of Micronesia agreed to remain in the forum. ==Politics==

The Federated States of Micronesia is governed by the 1979 constitution, which guarantees fundamental human rights and establishes a separation of governmental powers. This constitution structures the national government to be similar to—but not exactly like—that of the United States. The unicameral Congress has fourteen members elected by popular vote. Four senators—one from each state—serve four-year terms; the remaining ten senators represent single-member districts based on population and serve two-year terms. Congress elects the President and Vice President from among the four state-based senators to serve four-year terms in the executive branch. Their congressional seats are then filled by special elections. An appointed cabinet supports the president and vice president. There are no formal political parties. Defense and foreign affairs helicopter (US Navy) flies over the waters of Chuuk, Micronesia. In international politics, the Federated States of Micronesia has often voted with the United States concerning United Nations General Assembly resolutions. of the Federated States of Micronesia The FSM is a sovereign, self-governing state in free association with the United States of America, which is wholly responsible for its defense. The FSM National Police operates a Maritime Wing Unit. The Compact of Free Association allows FSM citizens to join the U.S. military without having to obtain U.S. permanent residency or citizenship, allows for immigration and employment for Micronesians in the U.S., and establishes economic and technical aid programs. The FSM has foreign relations with 56 countries, including the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. FSM was admitted to the United Nations based on the Security Council's recommendation on August 9, 1991, in Resolution 703 and the General Assembly's approval on September 17, 1991, in Resolution 46/2. The FSM was an active member of the Pacific Islands Forum. However, in February 2021, FSM announced it would be formally withdrawing from the Forum in a joint statement with Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and Nauru after a dispute regarding Henry Puna's election as the Forum's secretary-general. In February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, FSM severed its diplomatic relations with Russia and called the invasion "unjustified and brutal". States The four states in the federation are, from west to east: These states are further divided into municipalities. ==Geography==

The Federated States of Micronesia consists of 607 islands extending across the archipelago of the Caroline Islands east of the Philippines. The islands have a combined area of . These four states are each represented by a white star on the national flag. The capital is Palikir, on Pohnpei. Two terrestrial ecoregions lie within the country's borders: Carolines tropical moist forests and Yap tropical dry forests. It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.55/10, ranking it 37th globally out of 172 countries. Biodiversity The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, hosting approximately 3,025 animal species and 1,553 plant species. The diversity of terrestrial plants and animals within the FSM varies from east to west due to differences in climate, geology, topography, and geographical isolation. Over 457 plant species have been introduced to the islands of the FSM by early Micronesians and subsequent settlers. The FSM comprises 607 islands extending 2,900 km across the Caroline Islands, with a combined area of 702 km2. The FSM has 58 Key Biodiversity Areas. The FSM's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan outlines efforts to protect and conserve its rich biodiversity. The FSM's marine biodiversity is under pressure due to growing population demands, leading to increased degradation of marine resources. Climate island, Yap State The Federated States of Micronesia has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af). The weather is warm, humid and rainy all year round. The islands are located north of the equator and are affected by constant trade winds, which temper the climate. Minimum temperatures range all year round between 22 and 25 °C, and maximum temperatures between 30 and 32 °C. The abundant precipitations oscillate between 2500 and 5000 mm per year, although in the faces oriented to the wind they can surpass 6000 mm. Mount Nahnalaud, only 750 m high, on the island of Pohnpei, receives an average of 10,160 mm, being one of the rainiest places on earth, with almost always overcast skies. In general, the rains are produced by showers and storms of short duration but very intense. The driest places are the flat atolls, where rainfall can drop below 3,000 mm. The driest months are January and February, with no less than 250 mm and 20 days of rain. }} ==Transportation==

The Federated States of Micronesia is served by four international airports. • Pohnpei International Airport, on the main island of Pohnpei State. • Chuuk International Airport, located on the main island of Chuuk State. • Kosrae International Airport, located on the main island of Kosrae State. • Yap International Airport, located on the main island of Yap State. ==Economy==

Economic activity in the Federated States of Micronesia consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. Long line fishing of tuna is also viable with foreign vessels from China that operated in the 1990s. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development. Financial assistance from the U.S. is the primary source of revenue, with the U.S. pledged to spend $1.3 billion in the islands in 1986–2001; when the Compact was amended in 2004, the United States committed to providing $110 million in development aid through 2023. The CIA World Factbook lists high dependence on U.S. aid as one of the main concerns of the FSM. == Society ==

Demographics atoll The indigenous population of the nation, which is predominantly Micronesian, consists of various ethnolinguistic groups. It has a nearly 100% Pacific Islander and Asian population: Chuukese 48.8%, Pohnpeian 24.2%, Kosraean 6.2%, Yapese 5.2%, Yap outer islands 4.5%, Asian 1.8%, Polynesian 1.5%, other 6.4%, unknown 1.4%. A sizable minority also have some Japanese ancestry, which is a result of intermarriages between Japanese settlers and Micronesians during the Japanese colonial period. There is also a growing expatriate population of Americans, Australians, Europeans, and residents from China and the Philippines since the 1990s. English has become the common language of the government, and for secondary and tertiary education. Outside of the main capital towns of the four FSM states, the local languages are primarily spoken. In the Catholic mission of Pohnpei, among the Mercedarian missionaries, considered an institution in the country, Spanish is also spoken. Growth remains high at more than 3% annually, offset somewhat by net emigration. Languages English is the official and common language. Aside from English, the following Austronesian languages are spoken: Religion The people of the Federated States of Micronesia are 97% Christian. More than half of the population follows the Catholic Church (55%) Most Protestant groups trace their roots to American Congregationalist missionaries. Pingelap in Pohnpei State is notable for the prevalence of an extreme form of color blindness called achromatopsia, and known locally as maskun. ==Sports==

Baseball Baseball is very popular in the FSM. Association football The sport of association football in the Federated States of Micronesia is run by the Federated States of Micronesia Football Association. They control the Micronesian Games, the nation's football championship and the Micronesia national football team. FSMAA The Federated States of Micronesia Athletic Association is the governing body for the country's sports and athletics. ==Culture==

) in the village of Gachpar Each of the four states has its own culture and traditions, but there are also common cultural and economic bonds that are centuries old. Cultural similarities include the importance of the traditional extended family and clan systems and are found on all the islands. The island of Yap is notable for its "stone money" (Rai stones), large disks usually of calcite, up to in diameter, with a hole in the middle. The islanders, aware of the owner of a piece, do not necessarily move them when ownership changes. There are five major types: Mmbul, Gaw, Ray, Yar, and Reng, the last being only in diameter. Their value is based on both size and history, many of them having been brought from other islands, as far as New Guinea, but most coming in ancient times from Palau. Approximately 6,500 of them are scattered around the island. Pohnpei is home to Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the site is currently listed as In Danger due to natural causes. The government is working on the conservation of the site. Music Traditional dances on the main islands includes "stick dancing" on Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap, standing dances on Chuuk and sitting dances on Yap and Chuuk. The Yapese are particularly known for their skills in dancing. The Yapese stick dance is performed by men, women and children together, while standing dances are performed either by women or men and boys, but never both together. The men participate in various dancing competitions, which are segregated by caste; the lower castes have some distinct dances, such as a woman's standing dance, but can only dance when authorized by a person of a higher caste. Newspapers The following papers have been published in the FSM: • Pohnpei • The Kaselehlie Press — from 2001. English. Published biweekly. • Senyavin Times — from 1967 to the 1970s. Bilingual (Pohnpeian and English). • Chuuk • Truk Chronicle — from 1979 to the 1980s. Published biweekly in English, with some articles in Carolinian. • Kosrae • Kosrae State Newsletter — from 1983 to 2004. Published monthly in Kosraean. • Yap • The Yap Networker — from 1999 to 2005. Published weekly in English. Literature There have been very few published literary writers from the Federated States of Micronesia. In 2008, Emelihter Kihleng became the first ever Micronesian to publish a collection of poetry in the English language. ==See also==