2021 Edition

Background

Each of the four states that compose the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) - Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap - has its own unique history and cultural traditions. The first humans arrived in what is now the FSM in the second millennium B.C. In the 800s A.D., construction of the artificial islets at the Nan Madol complex in Pohnpei began, with the main architecture being built around 1200. At its height, Nan Madol united the approximately 25,000 people of Pohnpei under the Saudeleur Dynasty. Around the same time, Kosrae was united in a kingdom centered in Leluh by 1250. Yap’s society became strictly hierarchical, with chiefs receiving tributes from islands up to 1,100 km (700 mi) away. Widespread human settlement in Chuuk began in the 1300s, and the different islands in the Chuuk Lagoon were frequently at war with one another. Portuguese and Spanish explorers visited a few of the islands in the 1500s and Spain began exerting nominal, but not day-to-day, control over some of the islands - which they named the Caroline Islands - in the 1600s. Christian missionaries arrived in the 1800s, in particular to Chuuk and Kosrae. By the 1870s, nearly every Kosraean had converted to Christianity and religion continues to play an important role in daily life on the island. In 1899, Spain sold all of the FSM to Germany. Japan seized the islands in 1914 and was granted a League of Nations mandate to administer them in 1920. The Japanese navy built bases across most of the islands and headquartered their Pacific naval operations in Chuuk. The US bombed Chuuk in 1944 during Operation Hailstone in World War II, destroying 250 Japanese planes and 40 ships. The US military largely bypassed the other islands in its leapfrog campaign across the Pacific. The FSM came under US administration as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947, which comprised six districts: Chuuk, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pohnpei, and Yap; Kosrae was separated from Pohnpei into a separate district in 1977. In 1979, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap ratified the FSM Constitution and declared independence while the other three districts opted to pursue separate political statuses. In 1982, the FSM signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted the FSM financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities; the COFA entered into force in 1986 and its funding was renewed in 2003. There are significant inter-island rivalries stemming from their different histories and cultures. Chuuk, the most populous but poorest state, is planning an independence referendum for 2022.Eligible Micronesians can live, work, and study in any part of the US and its territories without a visa - this privilege reduces stresses on the island economy and the environment. Micronesians serve in the US armed forces and military recruiting from the FSM, per capita, is higher than many US states.

Area

land

702 sq km

note

note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)

total

702 sq km

water

0 sq km (fresh water only)

Area - comparative

four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only)

Climate

tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Coastline

6,112 km

Elevation

highest point

Nanlaud on Pohnpei 782 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

6 55 N, 158 15 E

Geography - note

composed of four major island groups totaling 607 islands

Irrigated land

0 sq km NA (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

25.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 19.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.)

forest

74.5% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Location

Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons (June to December)

Natural resources

timber, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate

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

Terrain

islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Age structure

0-14 years

28.24% (male 14,585/female 14,129)

15-24 years

18.62% (male 9,473/female 9,461)

25-54 years

40.81% (male 19,998/female 21,493)

55-64 years

7.38% (male 3,602/female 3,898)

65 years and over

4.95% (male 2,260/female 2,776) (2021 est.)

Birth rate

18.65 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

12.6% (2018)

Death rate

4.18 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.8

potential support ratio

14.7 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.2

youth dependency ratio

48.4

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 78.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 21.4% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

9.7% of GDP (2018)

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% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

19.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

25.65 deaths/1,000 live births

total

22.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.4 years (2021 est.)

male

72.06 years

total population

74.17 years

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Major urban areas - population

7,000 PALIKIR (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

88 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

27.1 years (2020 est.)

male

25.5 years

total

26.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese

noun

Micronesian(s)

Net migration rate

-20.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

45.8% (2016)

Population

101,675 (July 2021 est.)

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

Population growth rate

-0.64% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 54.7%, Protestant 41.1% (includes Congregational 38.5%, Baptist 1.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 0.8%, Assembly of God 0.7%), Church of Jesus Christ 1.5%, other 1.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 88.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 11.7% of population (2017 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.27 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

29.9% (2014)

male

10.4%

total

18.9%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

23.1% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae (Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap

Capital

geographic coordinates

6 55 N, 158 09 E

name

Palikir

note

note: Palikir became the new capital of the country in 1989, three years after independence; Kolonia, the former capital, remains the site for many foreign embassies; it also serves as the Pohnpei state capital

time difference

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Micronesia has two time zones

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of FSM

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Congress, by a constitutional convention, or by public petition; passage requires approval by at least three-fourths majority vote in at least three fourths of the states; amended 1990; note – at least every 10 years as part of a general or special election, voters are asked whether to hold a constitution convention; a majority of affirmative votes is required to proceed; amended many times, last in 2019 (approval by referendum to hold a constitutional convention)

history

drafted June 1975, ratified 1 October 1978, entered into force 10 May 1979

Country name

abbreviation

FSM

conventional long form

Federated States of Micronesia

conventional short form

none

etymology

the term "Micronesia" is a 19th-century construct of two Greek words, "micro" (small) and "nesoi" (islands), and refers to thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean

former

New Philippines; Caroline Islands; Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts

local long form

Federated States of Micronesia

local short form

none

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Carmen G. CANTOR (since 31 January 2020)

email address and website

koloniaacs@state.govhttps://fm.usembassy.gov/

embassy

1286 US Embassy Place, Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941

FAX

[691] 320-2186

mailing address

4120 Kolonia Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-4120

telephone

[691] 320-2187

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Akillino Harris SUSAIA (since 24 April 2017)

consulate(s) general

Honolulu, Portland (OR), Tamuning (Guam)

email address and website

dcmission@fsmembassy.fmhttps://fsmembassy.fm/

FAX

[1] (202) 223-4391

telephone

[1] (202) 223-4383

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the 8 executive departments

chief of state

President David W. PANUELO (since 11 May 2019); Vice President Yosiwo P. GEORGE (since 11 May 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

David W. PANUELO elected president by Congress; Yosiwo P. GEORGE reelected vice president

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected by Congress from among the 4 'at large' senators for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 May 2019 (next to be held in 2023)

head of government

President David W. PANUELO (since 11 May 2019); Vice President Yosiwo P. GEORGE (since 11 May 2015)

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

Government type

federal republic in free association with the US

Independence

3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and not more than 5 associate justices and organized into appellate and criminal divisions)

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the FSM president with the approval of two-thirds of Congress; justices appointed for life

subordinate courts

the highest state-level courts are: Chuuk Supreme Court; Korsae State Court; Pohnpei State Court; Yap State Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of common and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Congress (14 seats; 10 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms and 4 at- large members directly elected from each of the 4 states by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 14; composition - men 14, women 0

elections

last held on 2 March 2021 (next to be held on March 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown

name

Patriots of Micronesia

note

note: adopted 1991; also known as "Across All Micronesia"; the music is based on the 1820 German patriotic song "Ich hab mich ergeben", which was the West German national anthem from 1949-1950; variants of this tune are used in Johannes Brahms' "Festival Overture" and Gustav Mahler's "Third Symphony"

National holiday

Constitution Day, 10 May (1979)

National symbol(s)

four, five-pointed, white stars on a light blue field, hibiscus flower; national colors: light blue, white

Political parties and leaders

no formal parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, cassava, vegetables, sweet potatoes, bananas, pork, plantains, fruit, eggs, beef

Budget

expenditures

192.1 million (FY12/13 est.)

revenues

213.8 million (FY12/13 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

6.6% (of GDP) (FY12/13 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$11 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$12 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2012

$93.5 million (2012 est.)

Debt - external 2013

$93.6 million (2013 est.)

Economic 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.

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

Exports 2013

$88.3 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish and fish products, coral/shells, scrap metals, mollusks, office machinery/parts (2019)

Exports - partners

Thailand 73%, Japan 10%, China 9% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27.5% (2016 est.)

government consumption

48.4% (2016 est.)

household consumption

83.5% (2013 est.)

imports of goods and services

-77% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital

29.5% (2016 est.)

investment in inventories

1.9% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

26.3% (2013 est.)

industry

18.9% (2013 est.)

services

54.8% (2013 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$328 million (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2013

40.1 (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2013

$258.5 million (2013 est.)

Imports 2015

$167.8 million (2015 est.)

Imports - commodities

poultry meats, netting, broadcasting equipment, various meats, fish products (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 32%, China 16%, Japan 14%, Taiwan 9%, Philippines 6%, South Korea 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

tourism, construction; specialized aquaculture, craft items (shell and wood)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

0.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

37,920 (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

0.9%

industry

5.2%

note

note: two-thirds of the labor force are government employees

services

93.9% (2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

41.2% (2013 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

25.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

24.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$389 million (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$390 million note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$390 million note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.9% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

2.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2015

$3,200 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$3,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$135.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$203.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

65.2% (of GDP) (FY12/13 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2010

16.2% (2010 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

29.9% (2014)

male

10.4%

total

18.9%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014)

Electricity - consumption

178.6 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

18,000 kW (2015 est.)

Electricity - production

192 million kWh (2002)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

78.7% (2018)

electrification - total population

82% (2018)

electrification - urban areas

93.5% (2018)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3.39 (2019 est.)

total

3,776 (2018 est.)

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 country code

.fm

Internet users

percent of population

35.3% (2019 est.)

total

40,800 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone, satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; mobile-cellular service available on the major islands; fixed line teledensity 6 per 100 and mobile-cellular 21 per 100 (2019)

general assessment

adequate system, the demand for mobile broadband is increasing due to mobile services being the primary and most wide-spread source for Internet access across the region (2020)

international

country code - 691; landing points for the Chuukk-Pohnpei Cable and HANTRU-1 submarine cable system linking the Federated States of Micronesia and the US; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

6.23 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

6,947 (2018)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

20.74 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

23,114 (2018)

Airports

total

6 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4

914 to 1,523 m

2 (2017)

total

6

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V6

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 19, oil tanker 4, other 15 (2021)

total

38

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Colonia (Tamil Harbor), Molsron Lele Harbor, Pohnepi Harbor

Roadways

note - paved and unpaved circumferential roads, most interior roads are unpaved

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Military and security forces

no military forces; Federated States of Micronesia National Police (includes a maritime wing)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

major consumer of cannabis

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.14 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.02 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

10.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Environment - current issues

overfishing; climate change; water pollution, toxic pollution from mining; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

25.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 19.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.)

forest

74.5% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

23.1% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

26,040 tons (2016 est.)