Micronesia, Federated States of (2001) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | 7 (2000 est.) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
702 sq km land: 702 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Truk (Chuuk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative | four times the size of Washington, DC | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid. | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$161 million ($69 million less grants) expenditures: $160 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
Capital | Palikir | West Island |
Climate | tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | 6,112 km | 26 km |
Constitution | 10 May 1979 | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Federated States of Micronesia conventional short form: none former: Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) abbreviation: FSM |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $111 million (1997 est.) | NA |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Diane E. WATSON embassy: address NA, Kolonia mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941 telephone: [691] 320-2187 FAX: [691] 320-2186 |
none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383 FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391 consulate(s) general: Honolulu and Tamuning (Guam) |
none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001 | NA |
Economy - overview | Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development. In 1996, the country experienced a 20% reduction in revenues from the Compact of Free Association - the agreement between the US and Micronesia in which Micronesia receives $1.3 billion in financial and technical assistance over a 15-year period until 2001 - as a result of the second step-down under the agreement. Since these revenues accounted for 57% of consolidated government revenues, reduced Compact funding resulted in a severe depression. While Micronesia's economy appears to have bottomed out in 1999, the country's medium-term economic outlook remains fragile due to likely further reductions in external grants made under the US Compact funding. Geographical isolation and a poorly developed infrastructure remain major impediments to long-term growth. | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Totolom 791 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | overfishing | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Leo A. FALCAM (since 21 July 1999); Vice President Redley KILLION (since 21 July 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Leo A. FALCAM (since 21 July 1999); Vice President Redley KILLION (since 21 July 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators-at-large for four-year terms; election last held NA May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2003) election results: Leo A. FALCAM elected president; percent of Congress vote - NA%; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent of Congress vote - NA% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $73 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) | NA |
Exports - commodities | fish, garments, bananas, black pepper | copra |
Exports - partners | Japan, US, Guam | Australia |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $263 million (1999 est.)
note: GDP is supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually |
purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
19% industry: 4% services: 77% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.3% (1999 est.) | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 6 55 N, 158 15 E | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | four major island groups totaling 607 islands | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | total:
240 km paved: 42 km unpaved: 198 km (1996) |
total: 15 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | $168 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) | NA |
Imports - commodities | food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | US, Japan, Australia | Australia |
Independence | 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA |
Industries | tourism, construction, fish processing, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls | copra products and tourism |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.6% (FY98/99) | NA |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | NA | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | two-thirds are government employees | the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
Legislative branch | unicameral Congress (14 seats; members elected by popular vote; four - one elected from each of state - to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population - to serve two-year terms)
elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003); elections for two-year term seats last held 6 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14 |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held NA |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 91% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
- |
Location | Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a sovereign, self-governing state in free association with the US; FSM is totally dependent on the US for its defense | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 10 May (1979) | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | noun:
Micronesian(s) adjective: Micronesian; Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | typhoons (June to December) | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals | fish |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | no formal parties | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | 134,597 (July 2001 est.) | 629 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | - | 0.002% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Colonia (Yap), Kolonia (Pohnpei), Lele, Moen | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other and none 3% | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA |
Telephone system | general assessment:
adequate system domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61-891; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 11,000 (2001) | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | note - analog cellular service available |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | NA |
Terrain | islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 16% (1999 est.) | 60% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |