INTRODUCTION     
    
   
     
      Background:
     
      
                In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the US. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid. 
   
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     GEOGRAPHY     
    
 
        
                
                
                        Location:
                 
                
                        
                        Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Geographic coordinates:
                         
                        
                                
                                6 55 N, 158 15 E 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Map references:
                         
                        
                                
                                Oceania 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Area:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        total:  702 sq km 
                        note:  includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae 
                        water:  0 sq km (fresh water only) 
                        land:  702 sq km 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Area - comparative:
                         
                        
                                
                                four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only) 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Land boundaries:
                         
                        
                                
                                0 km 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Coastline:
                         
                        
                                
                                6,112 km 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Maritime claims:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        exclusive economic zone:  200 NM 
                        territorial sea:  12 NM 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Climate:
                         
                        
                                
                                tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Terrain:
                         
                        
                                
                                islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Elevation extremes:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        lowest point:  Pacific Ocean 0 m 
                        highest point:  Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Natural resources:
                         
                        
                                
                                forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Land use:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        arable land:  5.71% 
                        permanent crops:  45.71% 
                        other:  48.58% (1998 est.) 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Irrigated land:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA sq km 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Natural hazards:
                         
                        
                                
                                typhoons (June to December) 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Environment - current issues:
                         
                        
                                
                                overfishing, climate change, pollution 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Environment - international agreements:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        party to:  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection 
                        signed, but not ratified:  none of the selected agreements 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Geography - note:
                         
                        
                                
                                four major island groups totaling 607 islands   
  
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     PEOPLE   
    
 
        
                
                
                        Population:
                 
                
                        
                        135,869 (July 2002 est.) 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Age structure:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        0-14 years:  NA% 
                        15-64 years:  NA% 
                        65 years and over:  NA% 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Population growth rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA% (2002 est.) 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Birth rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA births/1,000 population 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Death rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA deaths/1,000 population 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Net migration rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA migrant(s)/1,000 population 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Sex ratio:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Infant mortality rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA deaths/1,000 live births 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Life expectancy at birth:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        total population:  NA years 
                        male:  NA years 
                        female:  NA years 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Total fertility rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA children born/woman 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA% 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                HIV/AIDS - deaths:
                         
                        
                                
                                NA 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Nationality:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        noun:  Micronesian(s) 
                        adjective:  Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Ethnic groups:
                         
                        
                                
                                nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Religions:
                         
                        
                                
                                Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47% 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Languages:
                         
                        
                                
                                English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi 
                         
                         
                        
                        
                        
                                Literacy:
                         
                        
                                
                                
                                        definition:  age 15 and over can read and write 
                        total population:  89% 
                        male:  91% 
                        female:  88% (1980 est.)   
  
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