Micronesia
Micronesia
For other places with the same name, see Micronesia (disambiguation).
Micronesia, in northwest Oceania, is the home of tropical and subtropical islands in the Pacific Ocean. With the exceptions of Kiribati and Nauru, most of Micronesia is associated with the United States.
Countries and territories
Federated States of Micronesia
FSM scuba diving along with Palau and the Marianas is the world's best and includes the wrecks of Chuuk, Pohnpei, and the mantas of Yap.
The western third of this sprawling country falls within Micronesia.
A small, isolated atoll nation and home to the former US nuclear test site Bikini Atoll.
An island of phosphate. The world’s smallest independent republic and least visited country.
Northern Mariana Islands (USA)
The CNMI may have the planet's best weather, clearest water, cleanest air, and the scuba diving, fishing, fire red sunsets, and beaches of Saipan and Rota are unimaginable.
A beautiful nation with a lake full of jellyfish, rock islands and an interesting culture.
Cities
- Hagåtña – the capital of Guam
- Kolonia – the former Federated States of Micronesian capital
- Koror – Palau's largest city is an excellent location for snorkelling
- Majuro – the capital of the Marshall Islands
- Melekeok – Palau's minuscule capital resembles more like a hamlet, but its capitol building is impressive from an architectural standpoint
- Tarawa, Kiribati
Other destinations
- Nan Madol — a ruined city, sometimes called the Venice of the Pacific, in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
- War in the Pacific National Historical Park — in Guam, some of the best preserved WWII sights in the Pacific can be found here
- Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument – a marine United States national monument that includes many random islands and atolls lying in the middle of the Pacific
Understand
Micronesia is a vast area that mainly consists of water. Transport can be a major issue because of the lack of an organized highway or byway, found in larger countries. Due to the lack of space on the islands, most activities are nautical, scuba diving etc.
Talk
English is an official language of all countries and territories here. Indigenous languages such as Chamorro, Palauan and Marshallese are also official in their respective countries and territories.
Get in
Palau and Guam have the best connections from outside Micronesia. The US territories, insomuch that civilians are allowed to enter, are connected to the US. As the airports often aren't large enough to accommodate large airplanes, expect flights to be of the island-to-island type which often means several landings and takeoffs before you're at your destination.
Get around
See
There are three world heritage sites in Micronesia:
- The Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site, Ralik, Marshall Islands
- The Rock Islands outside Koror, Palau
- The site of Nan Madol outside Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Do
Buy
There are only two currencies used in Micronesia: the Australian dollar and the United States dollar. Nauru and Kiribati use the Australian dollar, while all other countries and territories use the US dollar.
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Cope
Micronesia does not host many foreign embassies.
Go next
There are regular flights from some of the islands to East and Southeast Asia.