The FSM States

When the islands of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands first began negotiating with the United States for a change in their political status, it was assumed that all the island groups,or districts as they were then called, would remain as one entity. In fact, for the first several years, this was insisted on by the American negotiating team.

In retrospect, it is easy to see how silly this idea was. To expect that the islands of Palau, Yap, the Mariana Islands, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and the Marshall Islands stretching over an area larger than the continental United States, and each with completely different customs and many different languages and dialets, could function as a single political entity was only a dream. But that's the way the negotiations started, with all these islands expected to join together as the Federated States of Micronesia. That is why, if you look at a copy of the constitution of the FSM, you will see the signatures of Chamorros, Palauans and Marshallese.

As it happened, the Marianas wanted closer relations with the US and opted to become a commonwealth of the US, much like Guam and Puerto Rico but with a bit more autonomy.

Palau did not want to become part of a nation which included the other islands and began negotiating separately. And the same thing happened in the Marshalls.

So, with only Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae left, the leaders of these four island states felt they had little choice but to band together as the only remaining members of the original Federated States of Micronesia.

On the following pages, you will find more information about these four island states.

Pohnpei · Chuuk · Kosrae · Yap