Country and Culture

Geography and Climate

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a collection of 607 islands spread over three time zones and a million square miles of the western Pacific Ocean. The four FSM states—Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap—are situated on an east-west axis of nearly 2,000 miles. The 66 inhabited islands have a total population of about 100,000, with each island group unique in cultural and geographic character, from high mountainous islands of volcanic origin to low coral atolls. While its total land mass is only 270 square miles, sixteen languages or dialects are spoken across the FSM.

FSM has a relatively consistent tropical climate with an average temperature of 79 degrees Farenheit. The average annual rainfall in the capital is close to 200 inches and is heaviest during the summer months. Pohnpei is considered one of the rainiest places on Earth.

The Republic of Palau, the westernmost of the six major Micronesian island groups, includes more than 300 islands, eight of which are populated by approximately 16,000 inhabitants. With three exceptions, all the inhabited islands are situated within a barrier reef.

Economy and Government

Both the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau are democratic republics closely modeled on the United States. They are divided into states, each with a highly autonomous state government. In FSM, the states are further divided into municipalities, each with a governing entity, and each state is highly autonomous. There is a unicameral legislature with proportional and at-large representation from the four states. The president is elected by the members of the legislature from among the at-large delegates. The Republic of Palau has a bicameral form of government that is also based on the U.S. model.

The islands of Pohnpei and Yap in the FSM and Palau have traditional governing entities that include paramount chiefs. These traditional entities remain strong, functioning alongside the official governing entities.

FSM suffers from a large government bureaucracy, which is largely supported by U.S. compact funds and accounts for about 90 percent of FSM's cash economy. FSM has yet to develop a viable private sector, and 90 percent of Micronesians remain in subsistence lifestyles.

In 1999, FSM held an economic summit and decided on three industries in which to support economic development: tourism, fishing, and agroforestry. Of all the Micronesian states, Chuuk, famous for the Japanese commercial ships sunk during World War II, probably has the best developed scuba-diving business. Nonetheless, it is the poorest of the states, partly because of over population and mismanagement of funds. Other issues that impede the economic development of FSM include complicated rules of landownership.

Palau has seen a much greater development of its economy. Its tourism industry is thriving with many restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions. Its diving industry is more advanced than that of the FSM. International travel to Palau is more frequent, with flights arriving regularly from Guam and the Philippines. Ironically, this economic development is placing a significant strain on the environment. The increase in tourists and divers is further jeopardizing fragile coral reef systems, and the paving of perimeter roads to accommodate developing industries is disturbing a variety of ecosystems.

Culture

Approximately 60 of FSM's islands are inhabited, but the country's 108,000 citizens reside primarily in the four major states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei (formerly Ponape), and Kosrae. Palau's population of 20,000 is divided among eight permanently inhabited islands, with most people living in the capital, Koror. In general, the population of these two countries is young; 64 percent are under the age of 24.

Palauans and Yapese probably originate from Indonesian wayfarers, while those in Kosrae, Chuuk, and Pohnpei descend from Melanesians traveling north. The languages spoken on the five main islands are distinct, and their speakers are often unintelligible to one another.

Both countries are predominantly Christian. About half the population is Roman Catholic, and the other half belongs to various Protestant denominations. A small proportion of Palauans still practice an indigenous religion. Most people on the outer islands and rural areas maintain a traditional lifestyle. It is not unusual to see people on the outer islands wearing only sarongs and loincloths. On Yap, a very strict caste system exists, entry into a village requires permission from the powerful village chief. On Pohnpei, chiefs also exert a great deal of influence and are treated like royalty.

Last updated Sep 28 2008