The Freely Associated States of Micronesia

An Overview

Micronesia's 2,100 islands lie scattered in the North Pacific between Hawaii and the Phillipines. Although they cover an ocean expanse the size of the continental USA, their total land mass is less than Rhode Island, the smallest US state. Many world maps don't even bother mapping them in.

Four colonial powers have used these tiny specks of land as stepping stones between continents, first as provision ports on trade routes and later as military bases. Following WW II, the USA took over the administration of Micronesia [under the United Nation's Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]. The island groups have only recently emerged as "island nations," each with some sort of political identity of its own, yet all still firmly locked into a future with the USA.

So begins the introduction to the tourist guide Micronesia (see bibliographical details near the bottom of this page). The islands of Micronesia are in three distinct groups, each of which has achieved the status of sovereign nations, although they remain, through popular consent, "freely associated" with the United States. The westernmost islands of the Caroline Islands form the Republic of Palau, the easternmost islands of the Caroline Islands form the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands form the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Below are brief descriptions of these three "Free Associated States."

The Republic of Palau

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Palau is composed of the westernmost islands of the Caroline chain. The 300-mile long archipelago contains more than 200 islands that lie about 800 miles south of Guam. Palau's total land area is 196 square miles and it has a population of about 17,500. More than half of that population lives on Koror, the capital of Palau. The largest island, Babeldoab, makes up 75 percent of Palau's land mass.

The first significant Western contact with Palau occurred in 1783, when British Captain Henry Wilson became shipwrecked near the island of Koror. Spain later gained control of Palau and in 1899 sold the islands (along with the other islands of Micronesia) to Germany. Germany administered Palau until 1914, when Japanese forces occupied the islands, making Palau a major administrative center for their possessions in the Pacific. During World War II, major battles between American and Japanese forces took place on the islands of Peleliu, Anguar, and Koror. Following World War II, the United Nations formed the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which was placed under the administration of the United States.

In 1994, following a plebiscite, the islands of Palau became the sovereign nation of the Republic of Palau. The Republic's President and Vice President are elected to 4-year terms. The legislative branch consists of a 16-member House of Delegates and a 14-member Senate. The judicial branch consists of a Court of Pleas, a National Court, and a Supreme Court. The Republic of Palau is divided into 16 states, each with its own government and constitution.

Palau's economy is dominated by the republic and state governments. However, in recent years there has been significant growth in tourism, with almost 55,000 visitors in 1995, and the fishing industry. Palau has granted fishing rights to fishing companies from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the Philippines.

One of the most intriguing geological formations in Palau is the Rock Islands, over 200 outcroppings of coral covered by lush, green vegetation. The waters surrounding the islets contain an abundance of tropical sea life.

The Federated States of Micronesia

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The Federated States of Micronesia is the largest and most populous political entity to emerge from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The nation extends 1,800 miles and includes all of the Caroline Islands except the Palauan group, a total of more tha 600. Together, the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia share a common history, but each state has its own character, traditions, and native language.

Pohnpei (formerly Ponape) has the largest land mass, at 133 square miles, and about 35,000 residents. It is also the home of Paliker, the new capital of the Federated States of Micronesia. Chuuk (formerly Truk) is smaller in land mass, at 49 square miles, but largest in population with 50,000 residents. Yap, with the most traditional culture in Micronesia, has a land mass of 46 square miles and a population of 12,000. And Kosrae is the smallest in land mass, at 42 square miles, and population with 7,500 residents. The larger islands are very mountainous with lush vegetation, while many of the outer islands are coral atolls.

The four island groups entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United States in 1982. It was formally implemented in 1986, when the new nation was born. Like the other freely associated states, Palau and the Marshall Islands, the Federated States are fully autonomous nations, but the United States has reserved the right to provide for their national defense. The national government is a combination of American and British systems. The President and Vice President are elected to 4-year terms by members of the national Congress, which has 14 members. The judiciary is headed by a Supreme Court, which is divided into trial and appellate divisions. Each state has its own elected governor, legislature, and court system.

Government spending is the mainstay of the nation's economy. However, tourism has great potential for growth that is only beginning to be tapped. In Chuuk, the Truk Lagoon is well-known to scuba divers as the site of a major sunken Japanese military fleet from World War II. All of Micronesia offers excellent and largely undiscovered diving sites. Ruins of fortresses built of basalt logs are significant archeological and tourist sites, along with prestine rain forests and waterfalls on Pohnpei and Kosrae. Yap is known worldwide for its huge stone money, transported by sailing craft hundreds of miles from Palau, and for its well-preerved traditional architecture and dance.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands

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The Republic of the Marshall Islands comprises the easternmost island group of Micronesia. Although there are over 1,225 individual coral atolls and islands spread over 750,000 square miles of ocean, the total land area is only 780 square miles. The largest island, Majuro, is the capital and it lies 2,300 miles southwest of Honolulu. Nearly 37,000 of the Republic's 56,000 residents live on Majuro. The islands and atolls are divided into two separate, parallel chains that run more or less north to south. The easternmost is called the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain and the westernmost group is called the Ralik (Sunset) Chain.

The Marshallese are known to have migrated to these islands about 1,000 B.C. from Southeast Asia on rafts and other sea craft made mainly of wood and natural materials. The first European contact with the Marshalls occurred when Spanish explorers stumbled upon the islands in the 16th Century. Captain John Marshall, of the Royal Navy, came to the still nameless islands in 1797 and named them after himself. From the early to mid-19th Century, American whalers often visited the islands for water and food supplies during their Pacific whaling expeditions. After changing hands, first to Spain, then to Germany, then to Japan, and finally to the United States under the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshalls became a sovereign nation when its Compact of Free Association with the United States became law in 1986.

Like the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands has a form of government that is a mix of American and British systems. The President and Vice President are elected to 4-year terms by the legislature or Nitijela from among its members. The 33 members of the Nitijela also serve 4-year terms. An advisory council of Iroij or high chiefs is part of the legislative system. The judicial system consists of a Supreme Court, a High Court, District and Community Courts, and a Traditional Rights Court.

The economy of the Marshall Islands is a combination of money-based on the larger Majuro Atoll and subsistence in the outer islands. Nearly $1.5 million worth of processed coconut oil is exported annually, and fresh tuna is sent by air cargo to Honolulu for transhipment to Japan. Even so, in the rural areas people use money primarily to purchase imported goods, but depend heavily on taro, breadfruit, coconut and fish, which abound on or near their islands.

The Marshall Islands are perhaps best known as the site of the United States' early test of atomic bombs after World War II. Bikini and Enewetok Atolls are virtually synonymous with nuclear tests. Some 43 such test explosions were conducted at or near Enewetok and another 23 at or near Bikini. Although hundreds of millions of dollars have since been spent in efforts to clean up the highly radioactive islands and to relocate and treat the former residents who were exposed to the actual tests or to contaminated food on the islands, Bikini and Enewetok remain grim reminders of the long-lasting effects of nuclear radiation.

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Last Updated: January 1, 2003