Micronesia Federation, Federal Republic of Oceania; consists of the central and eastern parts of the archipelago of the Karolines in the Pacific Ocean approx. 1000 kilometers northeast of New Guinea. The Micronesia Federation consists of 607 small islands and atolls extending east-west over ca. 2900 kilometers.
The islands are divided into 4 states, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap. The Micronesia Federation is located in an ocean area five times larger than France.
The capital is Palikir. The population is 111 542 inhabitants (2011).
The national anthem of the Micronesia Federation is ‘Patriots of Micronesia’.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: What does FM stand for? In the field of geography, this two letter acronym means Micronesia. Check this to see its other meanings in English and other 35 languages.
Geography and environment
The largest island is Pohnpei (formerly Ponape), with the capital Palikir, and makes up almost half of the Micronesia Federation’s land area. Pohnpei, Khosrae (formerly Kosai) and the islands of the Chuuk Lagoon (formerly Truk) are mountainous and of volcanic origin. The other islands are flat coral islands.
The climate is tropical with heat and high humidity throughout the year. There is a lot of rainfall, especially in the east. The area is among those with the most rainfall in the world. The islands are affected by hurricanes (June-December) and drought.
The only native mammals are 6 species of bats. Several mammals have been introduced. There are more than 30 nesting seabird species. In the sea live several whales, 4 sea turtle species and more than 1000 fish species.
In the higher-lying islands there are rainforests and atolls grow palm trees and tropical shrubs.
Population 1996
According to Countryaah.com, the population of Micronesia in 1996 was 107,418, ranking number 194 in the world. The population growth rate was 2.230% yearly, and the population density was 153.6129 people per km2.
