A Brief Introduction to Micronesia

Micronesia means “small islands,” and consist of the island groups of Mariana, Caroline, Marshall and Gilbert, with about 2,140 islands spread across the northern hemisphere to the equator. Of these islands, about 100 have been inhabited with a population of 110,000. The total ocean area of Micronesia is equivalent to that of the American continents. Almost all the islands, particularly in eastern Micronesia, are either atolls or low-lying coral islands, except for some volcanic islands such as Guam, Saipan, Yap, Palau, Truk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

• Museum Location

• 

Micronesia’s native culture has many features identical to that of Polynesia as a whole, except in some parts of the western islands that show strong cultural influences from Southeast Asia. The inhabitants are agricultural people, growing crops such as taros, yams, bananas, breadfruit and coconuts. It is believed that they migrated from the New Hebrides, moving north through the Gilbert Islands. Meanwhile, western Micronesia exhibits a certain influence from the Philippines.

Historically, the islands were colonized by Spain after Magellan discovered the Mariana Islands in 1565. Following Germany, Japan took over the territorial mandate after World War I, and these islands were placed under the administration of the United States after World War II.

• 
• 
• 
•