Map of Federated States of Micronesia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia. (The fifth westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association with the US which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment overfishing and overdependence on US aid.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 6 55 N 158 15 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 191
Land: 702 km²
Water: 0 km² (fresh water only)
Comparative: four times the size of Washington DC (land area only)

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 6,112 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m

Natural resources: timber marine products deep-seabed minerals phosphate

Land use
Permanent crops: 24.29%
Other: 72.86% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)

Geography
Note: four major island groups totaling 607 islands


top of page


Population: 105,681 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 193
Growth rate: -0.42% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 220
Below poverty line: 26.7% (2000)

Nationality
Adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese Kosraen(s) Pohnpeian(s) Yapese

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.)

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 54.7% Protestant 41.1% (includes Congregational 38.5% Baptist 1.1% Seventh Day Adventist 0.8% Assembly of God .7%) Mormon 1.5% other 1.9% none 0.7% unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.2% (male 10,755/female 10,609)
25-54 years: 38% (male 19,483/female 20,686)
55-64 years: 6.5% (male 3,440/female 3,477)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 1576/female 1974) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 56.4 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.9 %
Potential support ratio: 14.6 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 23.2 years
Female: 24.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.42% (2014 est.)
Rank: 220

Birth rate: 20.97 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 80

Death rate: 4.25 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 206

Net migration rate: -20.93 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 220

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: PALIKIR (capital) 7,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: overfishing climate change pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 81
Male: 24.28 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.47 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 135
Male: 70.34 years
Female: 74.45 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.55 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 78

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.18 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 3.2 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 40.6% (2008)
Rank: 12

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 89%
Male: 91%
Female: 88% (1980 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional short form: none
Local long form: Federated States of Micronesia
Local short form: none
Former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Ponape Truk and Yap Districts
Abbreviation: FSM

Government type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 6 55 N 158 09 E
Time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 4 states; Chuuk (Truk) Kosrae (Kosaie) Pohnpei (Ponape) Yap

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Constitution Day 10 May (1979)

Constitution: drafted June 1975 ratified 1 October 1978 entered into force 10 May 1979; amended 1990 (2012)

Legal system: mixed legal system of common and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: President Emanuel MORI (since 11 May 2007); Vice President Alik L. ALIK (since 11 May 2007)
Cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the eight executive departments
Elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators at large for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2015)
Election results: Emanuel MORI re-elected president by Congress unopposed; Alik L. ALIK reelected vice president

Legislative branch: unicameral Congress (14 seats; 4 - one elected from each state to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population to serve two-year terms; members elected by popular vote)
Elections: last held on 5 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2015)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 14

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president of the Federated States of Micronesia 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

Political parties and leaders: no formal parties

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 1725 N Street NW Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 223-4,383
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 223-4,391
In the us consulate general: Honolulu Tamuning (Guam)
From the us embassy: 101 Upper Pics Road Kolonia
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1286 Kolonia Pohnpei 96,941; U.S. Embassy in Micronesia 4,120 Kolonia Place Washington D.C. 20,521-4,120
From the us telephone: [691] 320-2,187
From the us FAX: [691] 320-2,186

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

National symbols

National anthem
Lyrics and music: unknown

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Economic activity consists of subsistence farming and fishing and government which is funded largely by Compact of Free Association (Compact) assistance provided by the US. The islands have few known mineral deposits worth commercial exploration. The potential for tourism is also limited by isolation lack of adequate facilities and limited air and water connections hinder development. Under the terms of the original Compact the US provided $1.3 billion in grants and aid in 1986-2001. The US and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) negotiated a second (amended) Compact agreement in 2002-2003 that took effect in 2004. The amended Compact runs for a 20-year period to 2024; during which the US will provide roughly $2.1 billion to the FSM. The amended Compact also includes a Trust Fund for the people of the FSM which is to provide an income stream beyond 2024 when Compact grants are to end. The country's medium-term economic outlook appears fragile because of reduced US assistance and lackluster performance of its small and stagnant private sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 210

Real gdp growth rate: 2.1% (2011 est.)
Rank: 182

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 140

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 12%
Services: 74% (2011 est.)

Agriculture products: black pepper tropical fruits and vegetables coconuts bananas cassava (manioc tapioca) sakau (kava) Kosraen citrus betel nuts sweet potatoes; pigs chickens; fish

Industries: tourism construction; fish processing specialized aquaculture; craft items (from shell wood and pearls)

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 15,920 (2011)
Rank: 213
By occupation industry: 20.6%
By occupation services: 78.5%

Unemployment rate: 22% (2000 est.)
Rank: 167

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 26.7% (2000)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $102 million (FY10/11 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 1.5% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 22

Taxes and other revenues: 31.6% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Rank: 83

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 122

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.35% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 45

Stock of narrow money: $27.22 million
Rank: 187

Stock of broad money: $113.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 190

Stock of domestic credit: $56.77 million
Rank: 181

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$34.3 million (FY05 est.)
Rank: 65

Exports: $14 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 204
Commodities: fish garments bananas black pepper sakau (kava) betel nuts

Imports: $132.7 million (2004)
Rank: 208
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery and equipment beverages

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $75.06 million
Rank: 167

Debt external: $60.8 million (FY05 est.)
Rank: 192

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


top of page


Electricity
Production: 192 million kWh (2002)
Production rank: 184
Consumption: 178.6 million kWh (2002)
Consumption rank: 188
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Exports rank: 136
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports rank: 144

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,400 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 202
Mobile cellular: 27,600 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 208

Telephone system
Domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) satellite (Intelsat) ground stations and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; mobile-cellular service available on Kosrae Pohnpei and Yap
International: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)

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
Hosts: 4,668 (2012)
Hosts rank: 147
Users: 17,000 (2009)
Users rank: 196

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 6 (2013)
Rank: 172
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 207
Paved: 42 km
Unpaved: 198 km (2000)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 138
By type: cargo 1 passenger/cargo 2 (2010)

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: major consumer of cannabis