2023 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, but largely bypassed the islands in its leapfrog campaign across the Pacific. 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, has pushed for secession, but an independence referendum has been repeatedly postponed and may not be held.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 (2022)

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

27.41% (male 13,968/female 13,527)

15-64 years

67.13% (male 32,721/female 34,627)

65 years and over

5.46% (2023 est.) (male 2,433/female 3,043)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

18.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

11.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

9.3

potential support ratio

10.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.7

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 est.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.08 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

18.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

24.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.9 years

male

72.6 years

total population

74.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

7,000 PALIKIR (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

74 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

28.6 years

male

26.9 years

total

27.8 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

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

noun

Micronesian(s)

Net migration rate

-20.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

45.8% (2016)

Population

100,319 (2023 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

-0.7% (2023 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: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 88.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 11.7% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.22 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

23.4% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

29.9%

male

10.4%

total

18.9% (2014)

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 Jennifer JOHNSON (since 13 September 2023)

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 (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Jackson SORAM (since 31 March 2023)

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 Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023); Vice President Aren B. PALIK (since 12 May 2023); 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 12 May 2023 (next to be held in 2027)

head of government

President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023); Vice President Aren B. PALIK (since 12 May 2023)

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 court(s)

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 as of March 2023 - men 14, women 0

elections

last held on 7 March 2023 (next to be held in March 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown/August Daniel BINZER

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 heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Nan Madol: Ceremonial Center of Eastern Micronesia

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

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

$223 million (2018 est.)

revenues

$320 million (2018 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

lower middle-income Pacific island economy; US aid reliance, sunsetting in 2024; low entrepreneurship; mostly fishing and farming; US dollar user; no patent laws; tourism remains underdeveloped; significant corruption

Exchange rates

Exchange rates 2017

1 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1 (2021 est.)

note

the US dollar is used

Exports

Exports 2019

$130 million (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$122 million (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$179 million (2021 est.)

Exports - commodities

skipjack, tuna, fish fillets, aircraft, scrap iron (2021)

Exports - partners

Thailand 81%, China 9%, Japan 4%, Philippines 4%, United States 1% (2021)

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 2019

$121 million (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$133 million (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$126 million (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

poultry meats, broadcasting equipment, other meats, cars, fish products, rice, lumber (2021)

Imports - partners

United States 34%, China 16%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7%, South Korea 6% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

-8.33% (2021 est.) NA

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.79% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.54% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.55% (2020 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 2018

23.11% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

23.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

25.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$394.369 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$387.407 million (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$375.055 million (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.17% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-1.77% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-3.19% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,500 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$3,500 (2020 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$3,300 (2021 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$397,158,200 (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$451,912,600 (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$497,434,100 (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

6.43% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2010

16.2% (2010 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

29.9%

male

10.4%

total

18.9% (2014)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

177,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

177,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

79.4% (2021)

electrification - total population

83.6% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

97.5% (2021)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2020 est.)

total

6,000 (2020 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

40% (2021 est.)

total

44,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly 19 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

Australia, Japan, and the United States are committed to working in partnership with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, and Nauru to improve internet connectivity to these three Pacific nations by providing funding to build a new undersea cable; the proposed undersea cable will provide faster, higher quality, and more reliable and secure communications to approximately 100,000 people across three countries; this will support increased economic growth, drive development opportunities, and help to improve living standards as the region recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19; the new cable will connect Kosrae (FSM), Nauru, and Tarawa (Kiribati) with the existing HANTRU-1 cable at Pohnpei (FSM), providing internet connectivity through a submarine cable for the first time (2021)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

6 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

19 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

22,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

6 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

6

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V6

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 19, oil tanker 4, other 14

total

37 (2022)

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 USMicronesia has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Micronesia's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)

Military and security forces

no military forces; Federated States of Micronesia National Police (includes a maritime wing); the Department of Justice oversees the National Police; State police forces are responsible for law enforcement in their respective states and are under the jurisdiction of each state’s director of public safety (2023)

Disputes - international

none identified

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

7.79 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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; sea level rise due to climate change threatens land; 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.)

Revenue from forest resources

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

23.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

26,040 tons (2016 est.)