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Micronesia is a sovereign state made up of 607 islands divided into four states. It gained independence in 1986 and has a free association agreement with the United States. The country’s economy relies heavily on subsistence farming and fishing, with phosphate mining and tuna longline fishing being the only viable industries. The official currency is the US dollar, but traditional Rai stones are still used for certain social transactions. The population is nearly 100% Pacific Islander and Asian, with English being the language of government and education.
Micronesia may refer to an area of the Pacific Ocean northeast of Papua New Guinea or the Federated States of Micronesia, an island nation within the region. While the wider area of Micronesia includes eight different territories, including Guam, Palau, Nauru and the Marshall Islands, this article will deal with the Federated States of Micronesia.
The country is a sovereign state that gained its independence in 1986. Previously part of a United Nations Trust Territory under US administration, Micronesia now has a free association agreement with the United States.
Micronesia consists of 607 islands, divided into four states: Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap. The islands were first settled by the ancestors of present-day Micronesians over 4,000 years ago, and Yap eventually became the center of a chieftain-based Micronesian Empire. Pohnpei Island, the largest island in the Federated States of Micronesia, was the seat of the Saudeleur dynasty, which reigned from approximately AD 500 to 1450. Nan Madol, a series of man-made islands and canals off the coast of Pohnpei, is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the Pacific.”
Europeans first encountered the islands of Micronesia in the 16th century. The Portuguese made first contact, and the Spanish soon followed suit and gained political control over the area. In the 16th, the Spanish sold their Micronesian possessions to Germany. Micronesia changed hands during both World Wars, becoming a Japanese territory in 1899 and a United States Trust Territory under the United Nations after World War II. The Federated States of Micronesia established its current borders with a 1914 constitution.
Micronesia became independent in 1986 and the 1979 constitution is still in effect. The country has a unicameral Congress with 14 popularly elected members. Each of Micronesia’s four states is represented by a senator, and Congress elects a president and vice president from among these four senators. The president and vice president appoint cabinet members.
Micronesia’s economy consists largely of subsistence farming and fishing. Phosphate mining and tuna longline fishing are currently the only viable industries on the islands. The country relies heavily on monetary aid from the United States.
Although Micronesia’s official currency is the United States dollar, large limestone wheels, or Rai stones, are the traditional form of money in Yap. The stones, originally quarried in Palau, can be very large and heavy, with the largest weighing up to four tons. Their value is enhanced by good craftsmanship and remarkable history. They are rarely moved, but Yapese is aware of who owns each stone. Rai stones are still traded for traditional purposes, such as to mark certain social transactions.
Micronesia’s population is nearly 100% Pacific Islander and Asian, although some Europeans, Americans, and Australians live on the islands. Micronesians are linguistically and culturally diverse. English has become the language of government and education, but shares official language status with Chuukese, Kosraean, Pohnpeian, Ulithian, Woleaian, and Yapese. A plethora of other languages are also spoken in Micronesia.
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