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Federated States of Micronesia / Estados Federados da Micronésia

is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, north of New Guinea. It is a sovereign state in free association with the United States. The Federated States of Micronesia were formerly part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, a United Nations Trust Territory under U.S. administration. In 1979 they adopted a constitution, and in 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

 

The Federated States of Micronesia is spread across the Caroline Islands in the wider region of Micronesia, which consists of hundreds of small islands divided between several countries. The term Micronesia may refer to the Federated States or to the region as a whole.

 

History

The ancestors of the Micronesians settled over four thousand years ago. A decentralized chieftain-based system eventually evolved into a more centralized economic and religious empire centered on Yap.

 

Nan Madol, consisting of a series of small artificial islands linked by a network of canals, is often called the Venice of the Pacific. It is located near the island of Pohnpei and used to be the ceremonial and political seat of the Saudeleur dynasty that united Pohnpei's estimated 25,000 people from about AD 500 until 1500, when the centralized system collapsed.

 

European explorers—first the Portuguese in search of the Spice Islands (Indonesia) and then the Spanish—reached the Carolines in the sixteenth century, with the Spanish establishing sovereignty. It was sold to Germany in 1899, conquered by Japan in 1914, before being seized by the United States during World War II and administered by the US under United Nations auspices in 1947 as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

 

During World War II, a significant portion of the Japanese fleet was based in Truk Lagoon. In February 1944, Operation Hailstone, one of the most important naval battles of the war, took place at Truk, in which many Japanese support vessels and aircraft were destroyed.

 

On May 10, 1979, four of the Trust Territory districts ratified a new constitution to become the Federated States of Micronesia. Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands chose not to participate. The FSM signed a Compact of Free Association with the United States of America, which entered into force on November 3, 1986, marking Micronesia's emergence from trusteeship to independence. The Compact was renewed in 2004.

 

Geography

The Federated States of Micronesia consists of 607 islands extending 1,800 miles (2,900 km) (2,900 km) across the archipelago of the Caroline Islands east of the Philippines. The four constituent island groups are Yap, Chuuk (called Truk until January 1990), Pohnpei (known as "Ponape" until November 1984), and Kosrae (formerly Kusaie). These four states are each represented by a white star on the national flag. The capital is Palikir, on Pohnpei.

 

The country has seven official languages: English, Ulithian, Woleaian, Yapese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, and Chuukese.

 

The other languages spoken in the country are Pingelapese, Ngatikese, Satawalese, Kapingamarangi Language, Nukuoro Language, Puluwatese, Mortlockese, and Mokilese

 

 

Oficial name:

Federal states of Micronesia

 

Area:

702 km2

 

Inhabitants:

100.000

 

Languages:

Chuukese [chk] 38,341 in Micronesia (1989 census). Chuuk Lagoon, Caroline Islands, some on Ponape. Also spoken in Guam. Alternate names: Chuuk, Truk, Trukese, Ruk, Lagoon Chuukese. Dialects: East Lagoon, Fayichuck. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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English [eng] 5,341 in Micronesia (2000). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English

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Kapingamarangi [kpg] 3,000 (1995 SIL). Population includes 1,500 on Kapingamarangi and 1,500 in Porakiet village on Ponape. Kapingamarangi and Ponape islands, Caroline Islands. Alternate names: Kirinit. Dialects: Lexical similarity 55% with Nukuoro, 54% with Rarotongan, 53% with Samoan, 51% with Paumotu, 50% with Tahitian. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, Ellicean

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Kosraean [kos] 8,000 in Micronesia (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk). Kusaie Island, Caroline Islands. Also spoken in Nauru. Alternate names: Kusaie, Kosrae. Dialects: Lelu-Tafunsak, Malen-Utwe. Lexical similarity 26% with Ponapean. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Kusaiean

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Mokilese [mkj] 1,050 (1979 Bender). Fewer than 500 on Mokil Atoll. Mokil (Mwoakiloa) Atoll, east of Carolines, and on Pohnpei Island. Alternate names: Mokil, Mwoakilese, Mwoakiloa. Dialects: Lexical similarity 79% with Pingelapese, 75% with Ponapean. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Ponapeic

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Mortlockese [mrl] 5,904 (1989 census). Population includes 1,692 in Upper Mortlock, 1,757 in Mid Mortlock, 2,455 in Lower Mortlock, about 1,000 elsewhere. Mortlock Islands, 70 miles southeast of Truk, Caroline Islands. A large group of Lower Mortlock speakers are on Ponape Island. Alternate names: Mortlock, Nomoi. Dialects: Upper Mortlock, Mid Mortlock, Lower Mortlock. 75% intelligibility of Pulapese, 18% of Satawal, 8% of Woleaian. Lexical similarity 80% to 85% with Chuukese, 83% with Puluwat, 82% with Satawal, 81% with Carolinian, 78% with Woleaian, 72% with Ulithi. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Namonuito [nmt] 944 (1989 census). Magur, Ono, Onari, Piserarh, Ulul islands, Carolines. Alternate names: Namon Weite. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Ngatik Men's Creole [ngm] 700. Population includes 500 on atoll (1983 Poyer), 200 on Ponape. Ngatik (Sapuahfik) Atoll, east of the Caroline Islands. Alternate names: Ngatikese Men's Language, Ngatikese. Dialects: A creolized language from the Sapuahfik dialect of Ponapean and English whose genesis is the direct result of a massacre in 1837 of adult males on Ngatik by British traders. Classification: Creole, English based, Pacific

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Nguluwan [nuw] 50 (2000 Osamu Sakiyama). Ngulu atoll, between the Yap Islands and Belau Islands. Dialects: Phonology from Ulithian and grammar and lexicon from Yapese. Classification: Mixed Language, Yapese-Ulithi Nearly extinct.

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Nukuoro [nkr] 860 (1993 Johnstone). Population includes 125 on Ponape. Nukuoro Island, Caroline Islands. Alternate names: Nukoro, Nuguor. Dialects: Lexical similarity 55% with Kapingamarangi. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, Ellicean

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Pááfang [pfa] 1,318 (1989 census). Hall Islands (Nomwin, Fananu, Marilo, Ruo), Carolines. Dialects: Indications of convergence with Chuukese. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Pingelapese [pif] 2,500 in Micronesia. 500 on Pingelap, about 2,000 on Ponape. Population total all countries: 3,000. Pingelap and Ponape. Also spoken in Guam, USA. Alternate names: Pingelap, Pingilapese. Dialects: Lexical similarity 81% with Pohnpeian, 79% with Mokilese. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Ponapeic

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Pohnpeian [pon] 29,000 (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk). Population includes 24,000 on Pohnpei, 3,425 on outer islands, 275 elsewhere. Pohnpei Island, Caroline Islands. Alternate names: Ponapean. Dialects: Kiti, Ponapean, Sapwuahfik. Lexical similarity 81% with Pingelapese, 75% with Mokilese, 36% with Chuuk. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Ponapeic

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Puluwatese [puw] 1,364 (1989 census). Polowat, Pollap, Houk (Pulusuk), and Tamtam islands, Carolines. Alternate names: Puluwat. Dialects: Puluwatese, Pulapese, Pulusukese. 64% intelligibility of Satawalese, 40% of Woleaian, 21% of Ulithian. Pulap speakers may need separate literature. Lexical similarity 88% with Satawalese and Carolinian, 83% with Mortlock, 82% with Woleaian, 81% with Chuukese, 72% with Ulithian. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Satawalese [stw] 458 (1987 Yap census). Satawal Island, Carolines. Dialects: 60% intelligibility of Ulithian and Woleaian. Lexical similarity 95% with Carolinian, 88% with Woleaian and Puluwat, 82% with Mortlockese, 79% with Chuukese, 77% with Ulithian. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Ulithian [uli] 3,000 (1987 UBS). Ulithi, Ngulu, Sorol, Fais islands, eastern Caroline Islands. Dialects: 85% intelligibility of Woleaian, 57% of Satawalese, very low intelligibility of Pulapese and Chuuk. Lexical similarity 74% to 80% with Woleaian, 77% with Satawalese, 74% with Carolinian, 72% with Puluwatese and Mortlockese, 68% with Chuuk. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Woleaian [woe] 1,631 (1987 Yap census). Woleai (Wottegai), Falalus, Seliap (Sulywap), Falalop (Falalap), Tegailap (Tagalap), Paliau, Mariang, Eauripik, Faraulep, Elato, Lamotrek, Ifaluk islands, eastern Caroline Islands. The first 5 listed are inhabited. 22 islands total, Yap State. Dialects: Woleaian, Lamotrek. 84% intelligibility of Satawalese, 81% of Ulithian, 50% of Sonsorol, very low of Pulapese and Chuukese. Lexical similarity 88% with Satawalese and Carolinian, 82% with Puluwatese, 80% with Ulithian, 78% with Mortlockese, 75% with Chuukese. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ponapeic-Trukic, Trukic

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Yapese [yap] 6,592 (1987 Yap census). Yap Island, 10 islands, Caroline Islands. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Yapese

 

Capital city:

Palikir

 

Meaning country name:

A name coined from the Greek words mikros (small) and nesos (island) — "small islands".

 

Description Flag:

The flag of the Federated States of Micronesia was adopted on November 10, 1979. The blue field represents the Pacific Ocean, while the four stars represent the four island groups in the federation: Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap.

A similar design with six stars was in use from 1965 for the flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the extra stars representing Palau, the Marshall Islands and Northern Mariana, which chose not to participate in the Federation. (Kosrae was then part of Pohnpei so both were represented by one star.)

 

Coat of arms:

The same has the Trust Territories

 

Motto: "Peace Unity Liberty"

 

National Anthem: Patriots of Micronesia

 

Tis here we are pledging,

with heart and with hand,

Full measure of devotion

to thee, our native land,

Full measure of devotion

to thee, our native land.

Now all join the chorus,

let union abide.

Across all Micronesia

join hands on every side,

Across all Micronesia

join hands on every side.

We all work together,

with hearts, voice and hand,

Till we have made these islands

another promised land,

Till we have made these islands

another promised land.

 

Internet Page: www.fsmgov.org

www.southpacific.org/micro

www.micronesia.com

 

Micronesia federal state

 

eng | arg | ast | cym | glg | ina | ita | lat | lld | oci | roh | scn | spa | swa: Micronesia

eus | fao | fin | jav | lin | nor | sme: Mikronesia

bre | mlg | sqi: Mikronezia

crh | kaa | uzb: Mikroneziya / Микронезия

deu | ltz | nds: Mikronesien / Mikroneſien

fra | jnf | nrm: Micronésie

hrv | lit | slv: Mikronezija

hun | slk | tet: Mikronézia

dan | swe: Mikronesien

dsb | hsb: Mikronesiska

kin | run: Mikroneziya

por | srd: Micronésia

ron | rup: Micronezia

tur | zza: Mikronezya

afr: Mikronesië

aze: Mikroneziya / Микронезија

bam: Mikirɔnezi

bis: Maekronisia

bos: Mikronezija / Микронезија

cat: Micronèsia

ces: Mikronésie

cor: Mikronesi

epo: Mikronezio

est: Mikroneesia

frp: Micronèsie

fry: Mikroneezje

fur: Micronesie

gla: Na Meanbh Eileanan

gle: An Mhicrinéis / An Ṁicrinéis

glv: Yn Vynneeys

hat: Mikwonezi

ibo: Maikrọnisia

ind: Mikronesia / ميكرونيسيا

isl: Míkrónesía

kmr: Mîkronêzî / Микронези / میکرۆنێزی

kur: Mîkronezya / میکرۆنەزیا

lav: Mikronēzija

mlt: Mikronesja

mol: Micronezia / Микронезия

msa: Micronesia / ميكرونيسيا

nld: Micronesië

pol: Mikronezja

que: Mikrunisya

rmy: Mikroneziya / मिक्रोनेज़िया

slo: Mikronezia / Микронезиа

smg: Mikronezėjė

smo: Maikoronesia

ton: Maikolonisia

tuk: Mikroneziýa / Микронезия

vie: Mi-crô-nê-xi-a

vol: Smalaseänuäns

vor: Mikroneesiä

wln: Micronezeye

wol: Mikroneesi

abq | alt | bul | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | rus | tyv | udm: Микронезия (Mikronezija)

che | chv | mon | oss: Микронези (Mikronezi)

bak: Микронезия / Mikroneziya

bel: Мікранезія / Mikraniezija; Мікранэзія / Mikranezija

chm: Микронезий (Mikronezij)

kaz: Микронезия / Mïkronezïya / ميكرونەزيا

kbd: Микронезие (Mikronezie)

mkd: Микронезија (Mikronezija)

srp: Микронезија / Mikronezija

tat: Микронезия / Mikroneziä

tgk: Микронезия / میکرانزیه / Mikronezija

ukr: Мікронезія (Mikronezija)

ara: مايكرونيزيا (Māykrūnīziyā); ميكرونيزيا (Mīkrūnīziyā); مايكرونيسيا (Māykrūnīsiyā); ميكرونيسيا (Mīkrūnīsiyā)

fas: میکرونزی / Mikronezi

prs: میکرونیزیا (Mīkrōnēziyā)

pus: ميکرونېزيا (Mīkroneziyā)

uig: مىكرونېزىيە / Mikronéziye / Микронезия

urd: مائیکرونیسیا (Mā'īkronesiyā); مائیکرونیشیا (Mā'īkronešiyā); مائکرونیشیا (Mā'ikronešiyā)

div: މައިކްރޮނީށިއާ (Ma'ikronīŝi'ā)

heb: מיקרונזיה (Mîqrônezyah)

lad: מיקרוניסיה / Mikronesia

yid: מיקראָנעזיע (Mikronezye)

amh: ሚክሮኔዢያ (Mikronežiya)

ell: Μικρονησία (Mikronīsía)

hye: Միկրոնեզիա (Mikronezia)

kat: მიკრონეზია (Mikronezia)

ben: মাইক্রোনেশিয়া (Māikronešiyā)

pan: ਮਾਈਕਰੋਨੀਸ਼ੀਆ (Māīkronīšīā)

kan: ಮೈಕ್ರೋನೇಷ್ಯ (Maikrōnēṣya)

mal: മൈക്രോണീഷ്യ (Maikrōṇīṣya); മൈക്രൊനേഷ്യ (Maikronēṣya)

tam: மைக்கிரோனீசியா (Maikkirōṉīčiyā)

tel: మైక్రొనీషియా (Maikronīṣiyā)

zho: 密克羅尼西亞/密克罗尼西亚 (Mīkèluōníxīyà)

jpn: ミクロネシア (Mikuroneshia)

kor: 미크로네시아 (Mikeuronesia)

mya: မုိက္ခရုိနီးရ္ဟား (Maiʿkʰáẏonìšà)

tha: ไมโครนีเซีย (Maikʰrōnīsiya)

khm: មីក្រូណេស៊ី (Mīkrūṇesī); មីក្រូណេសៀ (Mīkrūṇesie)

 

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Uploaded on March 7, 2010