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Oceania : Federated States of Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia [1] is a country in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is composed of four major island groups totaling 607 islands that lie just north of the equator about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia, to the north of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and to the south of the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.

Regions

There are 4 states:

Cities

Ports and harbors

Other destinations

The remote atoll of Kapingamarangi is the southernmost island group in FSM.

Understand

Climate

Tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage; Natural hazards : typhoons (June to December).

Terrain

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

Highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m

History

National holiday 
Constitution Day, 10 May (1979)
Constitution 
10 May 1979

In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. On 3 November 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the US; economic provisions of the Compact are being renegotiated.

Independence 
3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship)

Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.

Get in

By plane

The major airline that travels to FSM is Continental Airlines, which operates a thrice-weekly "island hopper" flight (CO956 eastbound, CO957 westbound) traveling Honolulu—Majuro—Kwajalein—Kosrae—Pohnpei—Chuuk—Guam and vice versa. The flight is fourteen and a half hours, leaving in the early morning and terminating in the evening, with a stop of about one hour on each island. There are also nonstop flights from various islands to both Honolulu and Guam.

Honolulu is the most direct gateway into the islands from North America. Guam is the most direct gateway from most points in Asia and Australia, although it is also possible to fly into the islands from Manila via Palau.

By boat

The major international ports are; Chuuk,Pohnpei and Yap. There are inter-island trading ships based in these major ports which visits the outlying islands.

Get Around

Bus

Even though there are no bus scheduled service on the island, some buses are available to hire or charter. Also, on Yap there is a school bus that runs twice daily from Colonia to the villages.

Taxi

Taxi service is available throughout the islands and are inexpensive.

Car Hire

There are self-driven cars available in the major towns of the islands. However, It is required to have a National Driver's License or International Driving Permit.

Talk

Languages 
English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

  • Kosrae Nautilus Resort, P.O. Box 135, Kosrae, Micronesia(15 minute drive from the airport on the eastern side of the island, adjacent to the ocean), ☎ + 691 370 3567, [2]. checkin: When the flight arrives; checkout: 10.30 am. 18-room modern hotel with air-conditioned rooms and restaurant, or outside dining by the swimming pool. Free airport transfers, full service scuba dive operation including NAUI scuba instruction. Tour and rental cars arranged. Located adjacent to the Lelu causeway facing east to the Pacific Ocean, with 3 acres of manicured gardens.US$115 to $130. (5.20,163.0) 

Learn

Work

Stay safe

FSM is one of the safest places on earth. there is little violent crime. beware, it is also one of the wettest places on earth, and rains almost everyday.

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

This page was last edited at 18:56, on 12 March 2009 by Wikitravel user Ypsilon. Based on work by Ian Sergeant, R. Quinn, Colin Jensen, marc gordon, Stephen Atkins, Ryan Holliday, Ravikiran Rao, Evan Prodromou and Daniel Cowan, Wikitravel user(s) Hot Coffee, Arjuna808, Episteme and InterLangBot, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.