Federated States of Micronesia

constitutional government in free association with the US

Federated States of Micronesia as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 62 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalKolonia (on the island of Pohnpei)
Area702 km2
1991

Every edition of Federated States of Micronesia

Populationas each edition published it
107,662 people July 1991 · 104,937 in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 3.37% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 20.9 yrs in 2006
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 67.45 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5 children per woman 1991 · 5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
26 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 26 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $1,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 4% in 1995

Geography

10 fields
Total area
702km2
land area: 702 km2; includes Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and KosraeComparative area: slightly less than four times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

6,112 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

  • tropical;
  • heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands;
  • located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe damage

Terrain

islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk

Natural resources

forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals

Land use

  • arable land NA%;
  • permanent crops NA%;
  • meadows and pastures NA%;
  • forest and woodland NA%;
  • other NA%

Environment

subject to typhoons from June to December; four major island groups totaling 607 islands

Note

located 5,150 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Indonesia

People

14 fields
Population
107,662
(July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
34Death
5
Literacy
90%
(male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Net migration rate

- 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate

26 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth

68 years male, 73 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate

5.0 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality

  • noun--Micronesian(s);
  • adjective--Micronesian;
  • Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese

Ethnic divisions

nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups

Religion

  • predominantly Christian, divided between Roman Catholic and Protestant;
  • other churches include Assembly of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist, Latter Day Saints, and the Baha'i Faith

Language

  • English is the official and common language;
  • most indigenous languages fall within the Austronesian language family, the exceptions are the Polynesian languages;
  • major indigenous languages are Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosrean

Labor force

  • NA;
  • two-thirds are government employees;
  • 45,000 people are between the ages of 15 and 65

Government

Constitutional government in free association with the US

17 fields

Long-form name

Federated States of Micronesia (no short-form name)

Type

constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986

Capital

Kolonia (on the island of Pohnpei); note--a new capital is being built about 10 km southwest in the Palikir valley

Administrative divisions

4 states; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap

Independence

3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship; formerly the Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Constitution

10 May 1979

National holiday

Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia, 10 May (1979)

Executive branch

president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Congress

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Bailey OLTER (since 11 May 1991); Vice President Jacob NENA (since 11 May 1991)

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 President--last held 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1994);
  • results--Vice President Bailey OLTER elected president;
  • Congress--last held on 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1993);
  • results--percent of vote NA;
  • seats--(14 total)

Member of

ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Jesse B. MAREHALAU;
  • Embassy at 706 G Street SE, Washington DC 20003;
  • telephone (202) 544-2640;
  • US--Ambassador Aurelia BRAZEAL;
  • Embassy at address NA, Kolonia (mailing address is P. O. Box 1286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941);
  • telephone 691-320-2187

Flag

light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern

Economy

16 fields

Overview

Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the US pledged to spend $1 billion in the islands in the 1990s; also in December 1990 the US authorized the use of disaster relief funds for Micronesia because of damage from Typhoon Russ. In addition Micronesia earns about $4 million a year in fees from foreign commercial fishing concerns.

Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development.

GNP

  • $150 million, per capita $1,500;
  • real growth rate NA% (1989 est.);
  • note--GNP numbers reflect US spending

Budget

revenues $110.8 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)

Exports

  • $1.6 million (f.o.b., 1983);
  • commodities--copra;
  • partners--NA

Imports

  • $48.9 million (c.i.f., 1983);
  • commodities--NA;
  • partners--NA

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

18,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearl

Agriculture

  • mainly a subsistence economy;
  • copra, black pepper;
  • tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens

Economic aid

under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001

Currency

US currency is used

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Fiscal year

1 October-30 September

Communications

4 fields

Airports, 11 total, 10 usable

permanent-surface runways
7runways over 2,439 m
nonerunways 1,220-2,439
6

Highways

39 km of paved macadam and concrete roads on major islands, otherwise 187 km stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads

Ports

Colonia (Yap), Truk (Kosrae), Okat (Kosrae)

Telecommunications

  • 16,000 radio receivers, 1,125 TV sets (est. 1987);
  • telephone network--960 telephone lines at both Kolonia and Truk;
  • islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes);
  • stations--5 AM, 1 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave;
  • 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

1 field

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Central Intelligence Agency. “Micronesia, Federated States of.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/micronesia/1991.

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