Micronesia · FSM
Micronesia
The story · 8 chapters
How it was drawn
Four island states of the Caroline Islands passed through Spanish, German, Japanese and American rule before uniting as the Federated States of Micronesia.
Play the story Take the first lessonThrough the ages
Rivals in history
The kingdoms, empires and states Micronesia fought or stood against, from the first to today.
- Kingdom of Spain1886 to 1899
Spain's rule meets resistance on Pohnpei. In 1887 islanders kill the Spanish governor, Isidro Posadillo, and fighting breaks out again in 1890. Spain never controls much beyond its forts and sells the islands to Germany in 1899.
- German Empire1899 to 1914
Germany buys the Carolines in 1899 and forces Pohnpeians into road building and land reform. The Sokehs rebellion of 1910 and 1911 is crushed: Germany executes its leaders and exiles hundreds of Sokehs people to Palau.
- Empire of Japan1914 to 1945
Japan takes the islands from Germany in 1914 and rules them for thirty years, bringing in thousands of settlers. In the war it fortifies Chuuk, and islanders suffer forced labour and hunger as American blockades cut off supplies.
- United States1944 to 1986
American planes devastate Chuuk in 1944, and the United States takes the islands at the end of the war. It then runs them as a United Nations trust territory until the Compact of Free Association of 1986 ends the trusteeship.
Today
Micronesia now
Each of the four states that compose the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) -- Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap -- has its own unique history and cultural traditions. C. , construction of the artificial islets at the Nan Madol complex in Pohnpei began, with the main architecture being built around 1200. At its height, Nan Madol united the approximately 25,000 people of Pohnpei under the Saudeleur Dynasty. By 1250, Kosrae was united in a kingdom centered in Leluh.
- Capital
- Palikir
- Government
- federal republic in free association with the US
- Head of government
- Wesley Simina
- Languages
- English
- Area
- 701 km²
Through time
Then and now
- Population112,6002023 · 32,100 in 1950
- Life expectancy67.2 years2023 · 48.4 years in 1950
- Living in cities22%2025 · 20% in 1950
- Military alliancesNone of these2024 · None of these in 1950
- War deathsNone2025
Population: HYDE 3.3, Gapminder and UN WPP. GDP per capita: Maddison Project Database 2023. Urban share: UN WPP. Life expectancy: Riley, HMD, UN WPP. Literacy: OWID historical estimates, World Bank, UNESCO. Military spending: SIPRI. War deaths: UCDP. Political regime: V-Dem, Regimes of the World. All via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Alliances and organization memberships: compiled by Atlas. Satellites in orbit: CelesTrak SATCAT. Modern borders, backcast.
Relations
Close partners and tensions
Close partners
- United States
Summarised from World Bank and Wikipedia data, updated 23 October 2026.