Before I begin my first foray into the world of travel writing, I want to make something perfectly clear. Crystal clear. I want to educate the world at large and all her citizens about a fact that seemingly befuddles the very best and brightest, as well as the uneducated, among us. That fact is this: The United States of America does NOT own the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Again, the FSM is not a dependency, territory, or colony of the USA; she is independent. Let me explain...
The FSM in relation to other nations
I lived in the FSM for 15 months from 2008-2009 as a missionary for the LDS Church. I lived on an island named Pohnpei, roughly 1,200 miles southeast of the US territory of Guam (Yes, Guam
is owned by America. Confused yet?). Though endowed with the postal zip code 96941, Pohnpei is not American at all. The island is the capital island of the FSM and about as opposite of America as any place I've seen. Pohnpei is terribly isolated from the western world. Many basic necessities of life (such as deodorant) are either unavailable or available, literally, "whenever the ship comes in." I was lucky enough to have loving parents willing to send the occasional box full of toys and toiletries alike. Their deliveries were always greatly appreciated. I can only imagine how many hours in line at the post office my poor mother must have endured.
Sokehs Island, Pohnpei, FSM
It was on one such occasion at the post office that my mom ran into an over-confident, and uneducated, geographer/postal-worker. After filling out the requisite international forms (an obvious clue), my mom walked up to the counter to pay for the package. The man behind the desk asked where the box was heading, to which my mom replied, "Micronesia." When she read him the address he quickly responded that she didn't need to fill out the international forms because she was sending it domestically. "No, Pohnpei is not in the United States," I imagine was her reply. The postal worker explained that anywhere with a zip code like 96941 was American territory. Again, my mom attempted to explain that it was indeed international and that the zip code did not reflect the island's political status. He would have none of it. Over and over again he insisted that Pohnpei was in the USA. It is for him, specifically, that I will explain why the FSM is an independent state.
The first westerners to "own" Micronesia were the Spanish in the 1800s. They ruled with religious zeal, and the occasional sword, until they were defeated half-a-world-away in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Germany quickly took over the islands following the war and maintained control over much of the region until they struck up a war of their own, World War I. Japan swooped in to claim the islands in 1914, a move they saw as necessary for establishing a vast Japanese sphere of influence in the Pacific. World War II was a terribly dark period for Micronesia. Many of her islands were enslaved, fortified, bombed, and then invaded as the Japanese and Americans fought island-to-island across the Pacific. When the war ended, Micronesia was designated a United Nations Trust Territory to be administrated over by the United States. I suspect this is the hang-up for most Americans who believe that the FSM is American. For the elderly and middle-aged living today they were taught that the US owned these islands. People of my generation and younger have never even heard of Micronesia, and thus have no idea who owns the region.
Me, standing next to one of the many reminders of Japanese WWII occupation,
a coastal defense gun.
On May 10, 1979 the islands came together and formed a constitutional government in order to become a sovereign state. The island chains of the Marshall Islands and Palau, for their own reasons, decided against joining the rest of their Micronesian brethren, and were not included in the constitutional government (both would later become independent nations on their own). On November 3, 1986, the Federated States of Micronesia became a fully independent, sovereign, and self-governing nation with the enforcement of the Compact of Free Association. The CFA established the FSM as an independent nation and guaranteed American financial assistance in exchange for American military rights in the area. The USA is granted permission to conduct military operations within the FSM borders, but they must also protect the FSM from other countries.
The FSM Capital Complex, Palikir, Pohnpei, FSM
To make it clear, the Federated States of Micronesia has been an independent country since 1986. The FSM occupies a seat in the United Nations. Four foreign nations maintain embassies on Pohnpei: Australia, China, Japan, and the United States. The FSM maintains embassies in China, Fiji, Japan, and the United States. The FSM even fields it very own Olympic team, which, unfortunately, has never medaled in the Games.
I hope that this article has taught you something new today. When I first learned that I would be living in Micronesia I didn't know much about it, besides its relative location, vastness, and unimportance in world affairs. I'm glad to have lived in such a beautiful, independent country and I feel blessed to have learned so much about it. If you are ever asked if the Federated States of Micronesia are part of the United States, you are now able to answer with conviction, confidence, and clarity, NO!, it isn't. Micronesia is her own country.
The FSM national flag
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