OUTER ISLANDS

Geography

The Federated States of Micronesia (commonly known as Micronesia or FSM) is a nation that is not readily known or seen on maps. With a population of only about 108,000 (est. 2005) these small islands are located in the North Pacific Ocean represented as dots on most world maps. They are located 3,200 mi (5,150 km) west-southwest of Hawaii, East of the Philippines. The closest better known Pacific islands include Guam (U.S. Territory), Palau (site of the television series Survivor), Samoa (down in the South Pacific), and obviously the Hawaiian islands (up North).

Comprised of the states of Chuuk (formerly Truk), Yap, Pohnpei (formerly Ponape), and Kosrae (formerly Kusaie), the Micronesian islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low coral atolls, with volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk. The nation is spread up over the Pacific ocean from the equator to 14 degrees North latitude and 136 and 166 East longitude.

The native Micronesians were believed to have settled the islands over 4,000 years ago. There are of course many conclusions as to the origins of the indigenous people, but most commonly conclude that they are of Polynesian descent. With over 4 completely different languages spoken for the most part in each of the four states in Micronesia, the “official” language has changed with the long history of colonialization in these islands.

Global Context

Micronesia was recently featured on the ABC World News Report for its active participation in the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. In that prime time news report, the FSM Ambassador to the United Nations Mr. Masao Nakayama (a member of the Advisory Board for the Outer Islands Partnership) commented on the life threatening dangers posed by the rising sea level to the low lying outer islands throughout Micronesia. The report, entitled “Nature’s Edge: Island Nations…World’s small island nations stir things up in Copenhagen,” further discussed the struggles of the indigenous populations from the small island nations in the Pacific to be heard amidst the more powerful and wealthy nations at the global summit.

While the Copenhagen report refocused attention on the modern challenges facing the indigenous people of Micronesia, their struggles to maintain their way of life and cultures from the effects of more powerful governments can be traced back to the 16^th century. Foreign domination began on October 1, 1525 with the “discovery” of those shores by the Portugese Captain Diego da Rocha. These scattered islands were “re-discovered” in 1686 by Spain and named Islas Las Carolinas (Caroline Islands) after the reigning Queen Carolina. Pope Leo XIII then awarded these same islands to Germany before the League of Nations sold the rights to the Japanese government. The Japanese Imperial Forces occupied the islands until the United States “liberated” them during one of the fiercest battles in the Pacific in WWII. After WWII, the United Nations entrusted to the United States the rebuilding of the Micronesian islands toward independence.

Local Context

Micronesian independence was finally achieved in 1986 after many years of negotiations with the United States culminating in a treaty called the Compact of Free Association with the United States. The treaty between the US and the democratically elected government of the Federated States of Micronesia was ratified by US Congress and signed into law by President Reagan. In that treaty, the United States agreed to provide strategic protection to the government of the FSM while enabling citizens of the FSM to gain legal residency in the United States. It is the only treaty of its kind in existence which offers the indigenous population of this small island nation rights to live and work in the United States, volunteer for the U.S. Armed Forces, in exchange for protection.

The sovereign nation of the FSM is a member of the United Nations with Embassies in the United States and other countries. Citizens of Micronesia have settled in many of U.S. cities especially the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, and some major cities in the continental including the Bay Area. Having been occupied by foreign governments for such a long time has had an adverse effect on the self-identity of the people.

Most states in the FSM are comprised of tiny coral islands scattered hundreds and thousands of miles from the main commercial centers where hospitals, airports, libraries, and other resources are available. Commonly known as “outer islands,” these remote islands have very little contact with the outside world except for the occasional government-run boat that comes twice a year. A select few outer islands may have a small airfield built by the government to support those groups of islands. The largest number of these outer islands are located in the State of Chuuk.

Poverty in the outer islands

People living in the hundreds of outer islands have very little access to the educational, health care, and economic development opportunities which are concentrated in the main commercial centers. Outer islanders have to travel hundreds of miles over open water on government-operated cargo ships to seek help and attend high schools. On the main islands, the outer island communities live with relatives in very poor conditions. Their strong familial ties enable them to thrive amidst the poverty.

Access to basic services is a real problem for the outer islanders. Most of the outer islands only have elementary schools. Children leave their families at a young age to live with relatives in the main centers to attend public high schools. A few outer island students are lucky enough to receive private and state scholarships to attend private schools; most can’t afford it. The distance makes it virtually inaccessible to basic health care services and economic development opportunities.

Other signs of poverty in the outer islands include:

• Lack of jobs
• No running water and electricity
• Large families in substandard housing in the main islands
• No health clinics

Further reading…

Also visit the official website for the government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) http://www.fsmgov.org