Strewn across
thousands of square kilometers of the North Pacific Ocean,
the islands of Micronesia are almost endlessly varied. The islands lie
in Oceania about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia.
They range from the sprawling atolls of the Marshalls and the Gilberts,
to the steaming volcanic peaks of the Carolines, and the uplifted
limestone plateaus of the Marianas. Dazzling reefs teaming with a
cornucopia of marine life surround these shores, and the islands are
flanked by some of the deepest depths on earth. Today these outer edges
of paradise are all too vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
Southeast Asians peopled these isolated
islands more than 3000 years ago.
2500 years later, Spaniards under Magellan
arrived. They stayed intermittently until the late 19th century, when
German colonialists took over. The USA grabbed Micronesia's largest
island, Guam, from Spain in 1898, and in 1914 Japan seized the rest of
the region from Germany. At the end of World War Two the Americans took
control of almost all of Micronesia, excluding the British colonies of
Kiribati and Nauru. Only over the past two decades has Micronesia
attained self government.
In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under
US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was
attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and
overdependence on US aid.
Kosrae, Pohnpei,
Chuuk and Yap, are four island states of more than 600 tiny islands and
atolls, stretching almost the entire width of Micronesia, 1,800 miles
across the Pacific from east to west. Known as the Federated States of
Micronesia, each speaks its own language with its own distinctive
culture, traditions and history.
Today tourists and travelers can island hop along Continental Air
Micronesia's routes between Hawaii and Guam, or fly south on one of the
shuttles from Japan to Saipan, Koror, and Guam. Honeymooners account for
the bulk of the Japanese arrivals, while most North American and
European visitors are scuba divers. Palau's reefs are famous around the
world, while Chuuk is renowned for its sunken wrecks. Pohnpei is home to
mysterious Nan Madol, while Kosrae is called the jewel of Micronesia for
its unspoiled environment. A remarkable assortment of cultures and
traditions has survived the centuries of colonialism and consumerism,
making Micronesia a truly colorful place to go.
"Text from Moon Handbooks: Micronesia
http://www.southpacific.org/micro.html used with permission"
