Map Of The Federated States of Micronesia Created By The CIA

The map of The Federated States of Micronesia above comes from the CIA World Factbook

The Federated States of Micronesia Location Map

The Federated States of Micronesia Facts

Full Official Name: Federated States of Micronesia
Demonym: Micronesian

Flag:

Area

Total Area: 702 km²
Total Land Area: 702 km²
Total Water Area: 0 km²

Demographics

Population: 99,603

Population Growth Rate: The Federated States of Micronesia-0.73% (2024 est.)

Largest City: Weno (Population: 13,856)

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 0.7%), Church of Jesus Christ 1.5%, other 1.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Economy

Currency: United States dollar

Real GDP at Purchasing Power Parity ($ PPP): $437.922 million (2023 est.)

GDP per capita (PPP): $3,800 (2023 est.)

Exports Value Per Year: $179 million (2021 est.)

Biggest Export Partners: Thailand 78%, Philippines 12%, Japan 5%, Ecuador 2%, US 1% (2022)

Imports Value Per Year: $126 million (2021 est.)

Biggest Import Partners: US 37%, China 21%, Japan 10%, South Korea 8%, Taiwan 5% (2022)

Government

Type: federal republic in free association with the US

Capital City: Palikir (Population: 6,647)

Other Facts

Time Zone: UTC+10:00 and +11:00 (DST is not observed)

Country Code: FM

Internet TLD: .fm

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

Odd Shape?

The Federated States of Micronesia was included in my list of The 17 Oddest Shaped Countries In The World & How They Came To Be.

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has a particularly odd shape because, unlike most countries, it’s not a single continuous landmass.

Instead, it’s composed of hundreds of scattered islands, spread across a vast area of ocean.

Here’s why it has such a unique geography:

What’s Odd about FSM’s Shape?

FSM is a nation made up of about 607 islands scattered over approximately 2.6 million square kilometres (1 million square miles) of the western Pacific Ocean.
Despite this enormous marine territory, the total land area is tiny—only around 702 square kilometres (271 square miles).
Islands are organized into four major groups: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae, each separated by hundreds of kilometres of open ocean.

How Did FSM’s Odd Shape Form?

Geological Formation:

Volcanic Activity: Most islands began as volcanic peaks rising from the ocean floor, formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions.
Coral Growth and Atolls: Over time, volcanic islands sank slightly, and coral reefs grew around them. When the volcanoes submerged completely, rings of coral (atolls) remained, creating isolated, low-lying islands across vast expanses of ocean.

Plate Tectonics and Ocean Floor Movement:

FSM islands sit on the Pacific Plate, moving slowly north-westward over millions of years.
This tectonic movement spread islands across great distances, leaving them isolated from one another.

Sea-Level Changes:

Historical rises and falls in sea levels submerged and exposed land, affecting island shape and separation, leaving islands even more scattered.

Historical and Political Reasons for Odd Shape:

FSM’s political boundaries are largely inherited from colonial history. Spain, Germany, Japan, and later the United States controlled different parts of Micronesia at various times, grouping distant islands into political units.
When FSM became independent in 1986, it retained these widely separated island groups as a single political entity, despite their geographic separation.

Effects of FSM’s Odd Shape:

Isolation: Islands are often far apart, creating significant challenges for communication, transportation, and economic development.
Marine Wealth: FSM’s extensive oceanic territory provides rich fishing grounds and marine biodiversity.