Wake Island was devastated by 185 mile per hour winds and a storm surge caused by Super Typhoon Ioke in August of 2009. The waves surging approx. 300ft off the northern…
Photo: KC-135_Stratotanker_boom.JPG : US Air Force derivative…, Public domain · source
Suicide Cliff in Saipan
Photo: Abasaa, Public domain · source
A limestone karst on Nauru Island as a result of the over-mining of phosphate.
Photo: U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation…, Public domain · source
Did you know?
The region has a tropical marine climate and is part of the Oceanian realm. It includes four main archipelagos—the Caroline Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands — as well as numerous islands that are not part of any archipelago.
Political control of areas within Micronesia varies depending on the island, and is distributed among six sovereign nations.
Wikipedia: Micronesia – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical fragment of a wall, Lelu Ruins, Kosrae, Micronesia
Photo: Maloff1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Photo: unknown author, Public domain · source
Geography
Micronesia is a region in Oceania that includes approximately 2100 islands, with a total land area of 2,700 km2 (1,000 sq mi), the largest of which is Guam, which covers 582 km2 (225 sq mi). The total ocean area within the perimeter of the islands is 7,400,000 km2 (2,900,000 sq mi).
There are four main island groups in Micronesia:
the Caroline Islands (Federated States of Micronesia and Palau)
the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati)
Wikipedia: Micronesia – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
History
The Northern Mariana Islands were the first islands in Oceania colonized by the Austronesian peoples. They were settled by the voyagers who sailed eastwards from the Philippines in approximately 1500 BCE. These populations gradually moved southwards until they reached the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands by 1300 BCE and reconnected with the Lapita culture of the southeast migration branch of Austronesians moving through coastal New Guinea and Island Melanesia. By 1200 BCE, they again began crossing open seas beyond inter-island visibility, reaching Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia; before continuing eastwards to become the ancestors of the Polynesian people.
Wikipedia: Micronesia – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Economy
Nationally, the primary income is the sale of fishing rights to foreign nations that harvest tuna using huge purse seiners. A few Japanese long liners still ply the waters. The crews aboard fishing fleets contribute little to the local economy since their ships typically set sail loaded with stores and provisions that are cheaper than local goods. Additional money comes in from government grants, mostly from the United States, and the $150 million the US paid into a trust fund for reparations of residents of Bikini Atoll who had to move after nuclear testing. Few mineral deposits worth exploiting exist, except for some high-grade phosphate, especially on Nauru.
Wikipedia: Micronesia – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Demographics
The people today form many ethnicities, but all are descended from and belong to the Micronesian culture.
Because of this mixture of descent, many of the ethnicities of Micronesia feel closer to some groups in Melanesia, or the Philippines. A good example of this are the Yapese people who are related to Austronesian tribes in the northern Philippines. Genetics also show a significant number of Micronesian have Japanese paternal ancestry: 9.5% of males from Micronesia as well as 0.2% in East Timor carry the Haplogroup D-M55.
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Culture
By the time Western contact occurred, although Palau did not have dogs, they did have fowls and possibly pigs. Pigs are not native to Micronesia. Fruit bats are native to Palau, but other mammals are rare. Reptiles are numerous and both mollusks and fish are an important food source. The people of Palau, the Marianas and Yap often chew betel nuts seasoned with lime and pepper leaf. Western Micronesia was unaware of the ceremonial drink, which was called saka on Kosrae and sakau on Pohnpei.
Wikipedia: Micronesia – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Religion and mythology
The predominant religion in Micronesia is Christianity (93%). According to 2023 government statistics, 55% of the population were Catholic and 42% were Protestant, while 2% belonged to other Christian denominations. Other religious groups exist including Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims.
Micronesian mythology comprises the traditional belief systems of the people of Micronesia. There is no single belief system in the islands of Micronesia, as each island region has its own mythological beings. It was noted that 2.7% of the population followed folk religions in 2014.
Wikipedia: Micronesia – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0