world
factbook
Federated States Of Micronesia
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). (The westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which was amended in 2004. The COFA has been a force for stability and democracy in the FSM since it came into force in 1986. Present concerns include economic uncertainty after 2023 when direct US economic assistance is scheduled to end, large-scale unemployment, overfishing, overdependence on US foreign aid, and state perceptions of inequitable allocation of US aid.

geography

location

Oceania
6.55° N, 158. 15° E
Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

area

702 sq km
land
702 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

6,112 km

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

elevation

lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0
highest point
Nanlaud on Pohnpei
782

natural resources

  • timber
  • marine products
  • deep-seabed minerals
  • phosphate

land use

arable land
2.3 %
permanent crops
19.7 %
permanent pasture
3.5 %
forest
74.5 %
other
0 %

population distribution

the majority of the populaton lives in the coastal areas of the high islands; the mountainous interior is largely uninhabited; less than half of the population lives in urban areas

people

population

  • 102,436
  • 194
    global rank

nationality

  • Micronesian(s)
    noun
  • Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese
    adjective

ethnic groups

Chuukese/Mortlockese
49.3 %
Pohnpeian
29.8 %
Kosraean
6.3 %
Yapese
5.7 %
Yap outer islanders
5.1 %
Polynesian
1.6 %
Asian
1.4 %
other
0.8 %

languages

  • English
    official and common language
  • Chuukese
  • Kosrean
  • Pohnpeian
  • Yapese
  • Ulithian
  • Woleaian
  • Nukuoro
  • Kapingamarangi

religions

Roman Catholic
54.7 %
Protestant
41.1 %
Mormon
1.5 %
other
1.9 %
none
0.7 %
unspecified
0.1 %

birth rate

  • 18.9
    per 1,000 population
  • 81
    global rank

death rate

  • 4.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 211
    global rank

urban population

22.9 %

major urban areas

  • Palikir
    pop. 7,000

life expectancy

  • 73.9
    total population
  • 137
    global rank
71.8
male
76.1
female

adult obesity rate

  • 45.8%
    percent of adults
  • 10
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Federated States of Micronesia
    long form
  • none
    short form

    local

  • Federated States of Micronesia
    long form
  • none
    short form

government type

federal republic in free association with the US

capital

Palikir
6.55 N, 158.9 E

independence

national holidays

  • Constitution Day
    10 May

legal system

mixed legal system of common and customary law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern; blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, the stars represent the four island groups of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap

national colors

  • light blue
  • white

national anthem

Patriots of Micronesia

economy

overview

Economic activity consists largely of subsistence farming and fishing, and government, which employs two-thirds of the adult working population and receives funding largely - 58% in 2013 – from Compact of Free Association assistance provided by the US. The islands have few commercially valuable mineral deposits. The potential for tourism is limited by isolation, lack of adequate facilities, and limited internal air and water transportation. Under the terms of the original Compact, the US provided $1.3 billion in grants and aid from 1986 to 2001. The US and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) negotiated a second (amended) Compact agreement in 2002-03 that took effect in 2004. The amended Compact runs for a 20-year period to 2023; during which the US will provide roughly $2.1 billion to the FSM. The amended Compact also develops a trust fund for the FSM that will provide a comparable income stream beyond 2024 when Compact grants end. The country's medium-term economic outlook appears fragile because of dependence on US assistance and lackluster performance of its small and stagnant private sector.

GDP

348,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • taro
  • yams
  • coconuts
  • bananas
  • cassava
  • manioc
  • tapioca
  • sakau
  • kava
  • Kosraen citrus
  • betel nuts
  • black pepper
  • fish
  • pigs
  • chickens

poverty level

26.7%
2000

budget

  • 213,800,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 192,100,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 6,947
    total subscriptions
  • 201
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 23,114
    total subscriptions
  • 211
    global rank

broadcast media

no TV broadcast stations; each state has a multi-channel cable service with TV transmissions carrying roughly 95% imported programming and 5% local programming; about a half-dozen radio stations (2009)

internet

.fm
country code

    users

  • 36,586
    total
  • 35.3
    % of population
  • 203
    global rank

energy

electricity access

75.4%
2016

transportation

air transport

    airports

  • 6
    total
  • 6
    paved

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.