Federated States of Micronesia

The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia. (The westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association with the US which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment overfishing overdependence on US foreign aid and state perception of inequitable allocation of US aid.