Micronesia (Region)

Introduction

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© kuzi

Micronesia, apart from the country, refers to the region in the northern part of Oceania. It is located north/northeast of the subregion of Melanesia. The region has a tropical marine climate, and is part of the Oceania ecozone. There are four main archipelagos along with numerous outlying islands.

Micronesia began to be settled several millennia ago, although there are competing theories about the origin and arrival of the first settlers. The earliest known contact with Europeans occurred in 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan reached the Marianas. The coinage of the term "Micronesia" is usually attributed to Jules Dumont d'Urville's usage in 1832; however, Domeny de Rienzi had used the term a year previously.

Geography

Micronesia is a region that includes approximately 2,100 islands, with a total land area of 2,700 km2, the largest of which is Guam, which covers 582 km2. The total ocean area within the perimeter of the islands is 7,400,000 km2. There are four main island groups in Micronesia: Caroline Islands (Federated States of Micronesia and Palau), Gilbert Islands (Republic of Kiribati), Mariana Islands (Northern Mariana Islands and Guam) and the Marshall Islands. Plus the island country of Nauru.

The region has a tropical marine climate moderated by seasonal northeast trade winds. There is little seasonal temperature variation. The dry season runs from December or January to June, and the rainy season from July to November or December. Because of the location of some islands, the rainy season can sometimes include typhoons.

Countries

• Guam
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia
• Nauru
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palau
• Wake Island

Cities

• Hagatna
• Kolonia
• Koror
• Majuro
• Melekeok
• Tarawa

Sights and Activities

• Nan Madol - a ruined city, sometimes called the Venice of the Pacific.
• War in the Pacific National Historical Park - some of the best preserved WWII sights in the Pacific can be found here.
• The Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site, Ralik, Marshall Islands
• The Rock Islands outside Koror, Palau

Getting There and Around

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.