Micronesia

Micronesia is a group of about 2,000 small islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is part of a larger area called Oceania and shares a close cultural history with nearby regions such as Maritime Southeast Asia, Polynesia, and Melanesia. The islands of Micronesia have a warm, tropical climate and are home to many unique plants and animals.

The region includes four main groups of islands: the Caroline Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands. These islands are governed by different countries. Some belong to the Federated States of Micronesia, others to Kiribati, Palau, the United States, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This makes Micronesia a mix of many cultures and histories.

People have lived in Micronesia for thousands of years. The islands were settled by seafaring families who developed special boats and sailing tools that helped them travel across the ocean. The first Europeans to reach Micronesia were part of the Magellan expedition in 1521. The name "Micronesia" was created much later, in the early 1800s.

Geography

Micronesia is a region in Oceania made up of about 2,100 small islands. The largest island is Guam, which covers 582 km² (225 sq mi). These islands are spread out over a very large area of the ocean—7,400,000 km² (2,900,000 sq mi).

There are four main groups of islands in Micronesia: the Caroline Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands. Each group has its own unique features and history. For example, the Caroline Islands are made up of many small coral islands, while the Mariana Islands are the tops of volcanic mountains under the sea.

The region has a warm, tropical climate with little change in temperature through the year. It usually has a dry season from December to June and a rainy season from July to November. Some islands may also feel the effects of typhoons during the rainy season.

History

See also: History of the Federated States of Micronesia and History of the Marshall Islands

Prehistory

Further information: Austronesian peoples

The Northern Mariana Islands were the first islands in Oceania settled by the Austronesian peoples. These early sailors came from the Philippines around 1500 BCE. Over time, they moved south to places like the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. By 1200 BCE, they had reached Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia, and eventually became the ancestors of the Polynesian people.

More people from Sulawesi arrived later, settling in Palau and Yap around 1000 BCE. Around 800 CE, new settlers from Southeast Asia came to the Marianas, bringing with them large stone structures called haligi and rice, which was grown only for special ceremonies.

Construction of Nan Madol, a big stone site in Pohnpei, began around 1180 CE. The Leluh complex in Kosrae was built around 1200 CE.

Central Nan Madol (map)

[Nan Madol](/wiki/Nan_Madol)

Leluh

[Latte stones](/wiki/Latte_stone)

[Rai stone](/wiki/Rai_stone)

Early European contact

The first Europeans to reach Micronesia were part of a Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. They arrived in the Marianas and met the Chamorro people, who had not seen outsiders before. More Europeans visited during the 1500s, including Diogo da Rocha, who may have stayed on the Ulithi atoll, and Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón, who met people from the Marshall Islands.

Colonisation and conversion

In the early 1600s, Spain took control of Guam, the Northern Marianas, and the Caroline Islands. Later, in the 1800s, American and European groups sent teachers to teach new ideas and beliefs.

German–Spanish Treaty of 1899

Main article: German–Spanish Treaty (1899)

After Spain lost a war to the United States in 1898, it sold many of its islands in the Pacific to Germany. These islands included parts of what are now the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.

20th century

In the early 1900s, the islands of Micronesia were controlled by three different countries: the United States, Germany, and the British Empire. After World War I, Germany's islands were taken over by Japan and later the United Nations, with the United States in charge. After World War II, many of these islands became independent, but some, like Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, remained under U.S. control.

21st century

Today, most of Micronesia are independent countries, but the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Wake Island are still U.S. territories.

States and dependencies

Politics

The Pacific Community is a group of governments that work together in the Pacific Ocean area. It includes countries, areas that belong to other countries, and the bigger countries that control them.

Economy

The main source of income for Micronesia comes from selling fishing rights to other countries that catch tuna using large fishing nets. Some Japanese fishing boats also operate in the area. Money also comes from government grants, mostly from the United States, and a trust fund set up for people who had to leave their homes after nuclear testing.

Many people in Micronesia can move and work in the United States, and money sent home by relatives there is an important source of income. Other jobs include working for the government or in shops and restaurants.

Tourism is small but includes scuba divers who visit the coral reefs and sunken ships from World War II. Places like Palau, Chuuk, Yap, and Pohnpei are popular spots. Some private yacht owners also visit, but they do not add much to the economy.

Copra, made from coconut shells, used to bring in more money, but prices have fallen due to large palm plantations in places like Borneo.

Demographics

Further information: Demographics of Oceania

The people of Micronesia belong to many different groups, but they all share a common Micronesian heritage. Many feel closely connected to groups in Melanesia or the Philippines. For example, the Yapese people are related to tribes in the northern Philippines. Some people in Micronesia also have ancestors from Japan.

There are also many people from Asia living in parts of Micronesia, especially in the Northern Mariana Islands. Most of the people in Micronesia are Christians, with almost everyone following this faith today.

The countries and areas listed in this table follow the United Nations way of grouping places. The details come from different sources, and where they differ, this is explained clearly.

The main groups of people in Micronesia include the Carolinian people, who have a special way of life with great respect for elders. The Chamorro people are from the Mariana Islands and have a history going back thousands of years. The Chuukese people make up almost half of the population in the Federated States of Micronesia. The Nauruan people live on the island of Nauru and come from a mix of other Pacific groups.

There are also people from East, South, and Southeast Asia living in Micronesia, such as Filipino, Korean, and Chinese communities. Some of these people moved to the islands many years ago, and others are workers or descendants of earlier settlers.

The most common languages in Micronesia belong to the Micronesian family, which is part of the larger Austronesian group. These include Marshallese, Gilbertese, and many others. There are also languages like Chamorro and Palauan that come from a different part of the Austronesian family.

Culture

Animals and food

Before people from far away arrived, Palau did not have dogs but had chickens and maybe pigs. Pigs are not naturally from Micronesia. Fruit bats live in Palau, but other animals are rare. Reptiles are common, and fish and mollusks are important foods. People from Palau, the Marianas, and Yap often chew betel nuts with lime and pepper leaf.

Architecture

The book Prehistoric Architecture in Micronesia says that Palau’s big stone hills, stone carvings, and wooden buildings on stone platforms are some of the most famous old buildings in Micronesia. The old ways of building in Yap stayed the same even after Europeans first saw the area in the 1520s.

Art

Micronesia’s art started from the Lapita culture. One of the most famous places is the floating city of Nan Madol. It began around 1200 CE and people kept building it until Europeans arrived around 1600. By around 1800, the city and the Saudeleur dynasty ended, and Nan Madol was left empty by the 1820s. In the 19th century, different countries ruled parts of the area, but people still made art. Men carved wood to make beautiful houses, bowls, and decorations for canoes. Women made clothes and accessories like bracelets. Traditional Micronesian art is simple but made very well, using the few natural materials they had.

In the early 1900s, foreign countries influenced Micronesian culture, and some old art traditions stopped. But after Micronesian countries became independent, people started to care more about their old arts again. New art also began to appear near the end of the 20th century.

Cuisine

Food in the Mariana Islands is tropical, like kelaguen and other dishes.

Marshallese food includes breadfruit, taro root, pandanus, and seafood.

Palauan food has cassava, taro, yam, potato, fish, and pork. Young people in Palau also enjoy Western food.

Education

Schools in Micronesia are different in each country, and there are some colleges and universities.

The CariPac has schools in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau. The Agricultural Development in the American Pacific works with universities in Hawaii, American Samoa, Micronesia, the Northern Marianas, and Guam.

In the Federated States of Micronesia, children must go to school from ages 6 to 13. The College of Micronesia-FSM has campuses in all four states, with the main one in Palikir, Pohnpei. It also has a Fisheries and Maritime Institute on Yap.

Guam’s schools are run by the Guam Department of Education. Guam has the University of Guam, Pacific Islands University, and Guam Community College. There is also the Guam Public Library System and the Umatac Outdoor Library.

Weriyeng is one of the last schools for traditional navigation in the Caroline Islands. The Northern Marianas College is a two-year college in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The College of the Marshall Islands is a community college in the Marshall Islands.

Law

Law in Micronesia is similar to Western countries, but it also has its own special meanings and ideas. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which was run by the United States, used many American laws. When the Federated States of Micronesia became self-governing in 1979, it used many of these laws.

Media

In September 2007, journalists in Micronesia started the Micronesian Media Association.

Music and dance

Micronesian music is important to the people there. Some music comes from old stories and rituals. It is often passed down through generations and is usually sung rather than written. In the Marshall Islands, a traditional chant called roro tells ancient legends and helps with navigation and childbirth. Modern bands mix island songs with today’s music. Drums are not common, but Marshallese music uses one-sided hourglass drums. There is a traditional Marshallese dance called beet, where men and women step side to side in lines, and a stick dance called Jobwa for special events.

People in Micronesia also listen to popular music from around the world on the radio.

Sports

Micronesia hosts the Micronesian Games every four years. This event includes all of Micronesia’s countries and areas except Wake Island.

Nauru’s popular sports are weightlifting and Australian rules football. In 2007, about 30% of Nauru’s people played these sports.

Religion and mythology

Most people in Micronesia believe in Christianity. About 55% are Catholic and 42% are Protestant, with a small number belonging to other Christian groups. There are also smaller communities of Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims.

Micronesian mythology includes many traditional stories and beliefs that vary from island to island. Each island region has its own special mythological beings. A small part of the population, about 2.7%, still follows these older folk traditions. Some places in Micronesia have Shinto shrines that were built during or after World War II.