+691 is the dialing code for Micronesia.
The Micronesian Federation in the Western Pacific consists of more than 600 islands whose total size is roughly equivalent to half of Öland. However, the country’s territorial water covers an area that is five times the size of France. The Micronesia Federation receives extensive assistance from the United States, which manages its defense in exchange for the right to establish military bases on the islands. Assistance is unevenly distributed among the population, leading to large social differences between rich and poor.
- Abbreviationfinder: Brief profiles of Micronesia, including geography, history, politics, economics as well as common acronyms about this country.
Geography and climate
The Micronesian Federation is located in the western Pacific Ocean north of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The country forms the main part of the archipelago of the Carolinians in the geographical region of Micronesia, located northeast of Melanesia and west of Polynesia.
The Micronesian Federation comprises more than 600 islands and atolls that together cover a sea surface of 2.6 million square kilometers (five times the surface of France), while the land area is only 700 square kilometers (about half the size of Öland). In the east-west direction, the island world extends 290 miles.
The country is a federal republic with four states: from west Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Chuuk consists of about 300 islands, Kosrae only five.
Most of the islands are of volcanic origin. Some of these are highland with peaks up to 800 meters above sea level. The other islands are lower coral atolls with the exception of some islands, including Yap, formed by a fold of the earth’s crust.
Country Facts
Geography
| Cultivated land | 25.5 % |
| Land area | 702 km 2 |
Population and health
| Population development | -0.46 ‰ |
| Urban population (Urbanization) | 22.4 % |
| Death rate | 4.23 per 1000 residents |
| Life expectancy: Women | 74.75 years |
| Life expectancy: Men | 70.59 years |
| Birth rate | 20.54 births per 1000 residents |
| HDI index | 0.640 |
| Population | 105216 |
| Infant mortality | 21.18 deaths / 1000 births |
Population Graph Source: Countryaah.com
Energy
| Electricity, production | 192 million kWh |
| Energy consumption per resident | kg. oil per resident |
| Natural gas, production | million cubic meters |
| Crude oil, production | million tons |
Infrastructure
| Internet users | 28.3 per 100 residents |
| Mobile subscriptions | 30 per 100 residents |
| Passenger cars | 37 per 1000 residents |
Business and economics
| Unemployment | 16.2% of the workforce |
| GDP | 3000 per resident |
| Primary occupations | 0.9 % |
| Secondary profession | 34.4 % |
| Tertiary professions | 64.7 % |
The mountainous islands are bordered by mangrove swamps. Within these are grass and shrub vegetation that turns into rainforests on the mountain slopes. About a fifth of the land area is covered by forest. On the thin soil layers of the coral islands mainly grow coconut and pandanus palms and breadfruit trees.
The climate of the Micronesia Federation is tropical with a high and even temperature throughout the year and large amounts of rainfall, especially on the mountainous islands and further east.
The driest period is from January to March. The islands are affected annually by typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes. Often these lead to severe flooding and great material destruction. The typhoon season lasts from June to December.
The low-lying coral islands of the Micronesian Federation run the risk of falling underwater as sea levels rise in pace with global warming. Therefore, the country seems to be active internationally to persuade wealthier countries to help small island nations stop the climate change that is causing the warming.
FACTS – GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Surface
700 km2 (2018)
Time
Swedish +11 hours
Capital with number of residents
Palikir (in the state of Pohnpei) 7,900
Other major cities
Weno (in the state of Chuuk) 12,900, Kitti (in the state of Pohnpei) 7,900 (estimated 2013)
Average Precipitation / year
an average of 3,000 mm (more to the east, less to the west)
Average / day
26-29 °C year-round