ABSTRACT
The Federated States of Micronesia comprise more than 600 small islands spread throughout the western Pacific, in Oceania. Nearby island neighbors include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Guam, the Marianas, Nauru, and several others. The land mass of Micronesia, 271 square miles, is small compared to the amount of ocean it covers: more than 1 million square miles. Micronesia is made up of four major states: Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. The population of 101,675 people lives mostly along the coasts of the larger islands, with about 23 percent in urban areas such as the capital of Palikar. The population is ethnically diverse, including Chuukese, Mortlockese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Yapese, and Yap outer islanders. The majority of Micronesians identify as Roman Catholic, with other Christian religions also well represented. English is the official language and it’s the language that’s most commonly spoken throughout the island nation.
