Federated States of Micronesia
Micronesia
Pacific · Island · Traditional
Micronesia (officially Federated States of Micronesia) is a country located in Micronesia. Its capital city is Palikir, with other major cities including Weno and Kolonia. With a population of approximately 115,000, the main language spoken is English. The country covers an area of 702 km². The official currency is the United States dollar ($). Traffic drives on the right side.
The ancient city of Nan Madol on Pohnpei island, built on a reef using basalt columns weighing up to 50 tonnes each, is sometimes called the 'Venice of the Pacific' and remains one of archaeology's great engineering mysteries.
Palikir serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Micronesia, positioned in Micronesia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Weno, Kolonia — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Palikir on Pohnpei Island is one of the Pacific's smallest capitals, a purpose-built government centre whose administrative buildings opened in 1990 when the Federated States of Micronesia gained independence — a capital serving 115,000 people dispersed across 607 islands in a territory spanning more ocean than the continental United States.
With a population of approximately 115,000, Micronesia is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is English, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Micronesia is reached via the dialling code +691. Micronesians across the four states (Chuuk, Pohnpei, Yap, Kosrae) maintain distinct languages, customs, and island traditions while sharing the Compact of Free Association with the United States — an arrangement that allows Micronesians to live and work in America without a visa, creating a diaspora in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest that sends remittances back to islands where subsistence economy still predominates.
Micronesia spans 702 km², in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania. Geographically centred around 6.9°N, 158.3°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Oceania convention.
The official currency is the United States dollar ($), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Micronesia's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+10:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Baseball / Football holds a special place in the heart of Micronesia's national identity. Baseball is Micronesia's most popular sport, introduced during the Japanese colonial period (1914-1944) and maintained through the American administration period after World War II — but the traditional canoe sailing tradition, using star navigation techniques transmitted orally through generations, represents the athletic-intellectual mastery of the Pacific that Micronesian cultures developed across 3,000 years of open ocean travel.
The highest point in Micronesia is Nanlaud, rising to 782 metres above sea level. Nan Madol on Pohnpei Island is a ruined megalithic city built on 92 artificial islets in a lagoon between 1200 and 1500 AD — massive basalt columns weighing up to 50 tonnes transported and stacked without mortar to create walls 7 metres high, a construction achievement whose logistics in a pre-metal-tool society remain a subject of active archaeological investigation.