Micronesia — Overview
Micronesia comprises four archipelagos: the Federated States of Micronesia (Caroline Islands), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of Palau.
The area has a turbulent history of foreign control and political change. Despite upheavals and foreign influences from Spanish, German, Japanese and US governments, many inhabitants have maintained their cultural heritage and traditions, while others have lifestyles inspired mainly by the teachings of 19th-century missionaries. Having come under UN Trusteeship, administered by the USA, at the end of WWII, all of the Pacific Micronesian states have now reached final political settlements.
See individual country sections for further details.
Geography
Each archipelago is composed of hundreds of island groups, within which there are many islands varying widely in topography. A more detailed description is given under the individual section for each country. There are three distinct population groups: Malayans who passed through Indonesia and The Philippines; Melanesians coming from the islands of the southwest Pacific; and Polynesians who inhabited the South Pacific.
