MICRONESIA

– 90 – www.paradises.com The islands of Micronesia are spread over a great distance, yet each has its own culture and topographical personality. Set in sparkling waters which change shades of colour from deep blue through to sea green, each one is ringed by coral reefs. Your first glimpse of these 'pearls' of the Pacific are of specks of land surrounded by necklaces of white waves. Each island is covered in lush tropical vegetation, but the real action is underwater where there is some of the richest and most varied of marine life to be found anywhere in the world. Capital and major centres The islands vary in size and political status. The most well known is Guam, which is an American territory and serves as a gateway to the other island groups. The islands of Pohnpei, Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae and Yap elected to join a federal government known as the Federated States of Micronesia with headquarters in Pohnpei. Palau and the Marshall Islands voted to remain independent and have established autonomous governments. Saipan, Rota and Tinian became the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (commonly referred to as the Marianas or Northern Marianas) with Saipan the capital. The people The whole of Micronesia has fewer than 500,000 people. The region was settled about 2000 to 3000 years ago by an ancient seafaring race from areas in South-East Asia who migrated into, and successively colonised, the islands. English is widely spoken in addition to a number of indigenous languages, including Chamorro, Palauan, Yapese, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean and Marshallese. Nature The islands of Micronesia are naturally diverse and include high volcanic islands, such as Pohnpei and Kosrae, raised coral islands such as Guam and Saipan, and coral atolls such as the Marshall Islands. The inhabited areas vary from villages with out cars or electricity, to the sophisticated resort areas of Guam and Saipan. The underwater wildlife is particularly diverse, with the islands of Micronesia offering some of the most pristine and biodiverse underwater environments, which make scuba diving here excellent. Birds and plants abound on all of Micronesia's islands. The sights Geologically, culturally and naturally diverse, the islands of Micronesia offer a wide range of natural and man-made attractions to suit every taste. These differ from pristine underwater M I C R O N E S I A FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA GUAM PALAU NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS MARSHALL ISLANDS WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS YAP CHUUK SAIPAN ROTA TINIAN EASTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS KOSRAE POHNPEI GILBERTS GROUP KIRIBATI PHOENIX GROUP

• Cover