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. By 1250, Kosrae was united in a kingdom centered in Leluh. 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. 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. During WWII, Japan built military bases across most of the islands and headquartered their Pacific naval operations in Chuuk. The US bombed Chuuk in 1944 but largely bypassed the other islands in its leapfrog campaign across the Pacific.
In 1947, the FSM came under US administration as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, 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 status. 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.

Area
Total: 702 km²
Land: 702 km²
Water: 0 km² (fresh water only)
Note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)
Comparative: four times the size of Washington, D.C. (land area only)

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 6,112 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Highest point: Nanlaud on Pohnpei 782 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 7.1% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 4.3% (2023 est.)
Forest: 92.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 0.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)

Geography
Note: composed of four major island groups totaling 607 islands

Population
Total: 99,603 (2024 est.)
Male: 48,708
Female: 50,895
Distribution: the majority of the population 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
Growth rate: -0.73% (2024 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 0.7%), Church of Jesus Christ 1.5%, other 1.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 27% (male 13,673/female 13,239)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 32,527/female 34,487)
65 years and over: 5.7% (2024 est.) (male 2,508/female 3,169)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 48.6 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 40.2 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.5 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 11.8 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 27.3 years
Female: 29.1 years

Population growth rate: -0.73% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 17.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: the majority of the population 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 23.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 7,000 PALIKIR (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 129 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 23.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75 years (2024 est.)
Male: 72.9 years
Female: 77.2 years

Total fertility rate: 2.19 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Total: 88.3% of population

Capital
Name: Palikir
Geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 09 E
Time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Time zone note: Micronesia has two time zones
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

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

Legal system: mixed system of common and customary law

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023)
Head of government: President Wesley W. SIMINA (since 12 May 2023)
Cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the 8 executive departments
Election/appointment process: 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)
Most recent election date: 12 May 2023
Expected date of next election: 2,027
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Congress
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 14 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: partial renewal
Term in office: 2 years
Most recent election date: 3/4/2025
Percentage of women in chamber: 21.4%
Expected date of next election: March 2,027

Flag description: light blue with four five-pointed white stars centered and arranged in a diamond pattern

National anthem
Title: 'Patriots of Micronesia'
Lyrics/music: unknown
History: adopted 1991

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 0.7% (2024 est.); 0.5% (2023 est.); -2.9% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 0.7% (2024 est.); 0.5% (2023 est.); -2.9% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.3% (2023 est.)
Industry: 5% (2023 est.)
Services: 69.2% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Budget
Revenues: $137.795 million (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $111.963 million (2020 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 7% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $129.5 million (2024 est.); $125.789 million (2023 est.); $90.466 million (2022 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: fish, diamonds, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

Imports: $325.9 million (2024 est.); $310.669 million (2023 est.); $274.334 million (2022 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: poultry, fish, plastic products, cars, prepared meat (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Access electrification - total population: 85.3% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 98.6%
Access electrification - rural areas: 79.4%

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 800 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 121,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 121,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 22,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 41% (2022 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 7,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2022 est.)

Airports: 7 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 38 (2023)
By type: general cargo 17, oil tanker 4, other 17