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 Micronesia vacations, Micronesia scuba diving adventures, Micronesia hotels, Micronesia honeymoons. The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a small developing country with a total national population of 108,490 scattered over some 607 widely dispersed islands in the Caroline archipelago which lies in a broad east-west swath across 965,250 square miles of the western Pacific Ocean north of the equator and about 2,500 miles south-west from Hawaii. The FSM is a constitutional federation incorporating four states (from east to west); Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk (formerly Truk) and Yap.
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HOW TO GET TO MICRONESIA
Continental Micronesia is the airline of the region with flights to Guam, Saipan, Truk, Palau, Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Majuro and Kwajeilin. The main international gateways are Guam and Saipan however the other islands also have international airports. Flights into Micronesia are available from Manila, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Honolulu and West Coast USA.
Air Nauru also provides a regular service to Guam and Pohnpei from Manila, Nauru and connections from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane in Australia; Tarawa (Kiribati); Honiara (Solomon Islands) and Nadi (Fiji). Special fares are available on Air Nauru from Australia, Manila and the Pacific Islands with connections from Asia, Europe etc.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has services from Australia (Sydney or Brisbane) to Guam via Osaka or Tokyo.
A delightful stopover to round out your Micronesian experience, Ponape is still very much like O'Connell found it over 150 years ago. Witness tribal ceremonies, sip narcotic drink or get yourself tattooed. Tour Nan Madol, a prehistoric stone city built by the ancient rulers of Ponape. Ponape is a fairyland of lush jungles, waterfalls and mist-covered mountains.
The island of Pohnpei (6.97N 158.22E) lies about halfway between Hawaii and the Philippines in the recently formed country of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Here is a map (167k JPEG). Pohnpei is a "high" volcanic island, having a rugged, mountainous interior with some peaks as high as 2600 feet. It measures about thirteen miles across and is roughly circular in shape. A coral reef surrounds the island, forming a protected lagoon. There are no beaches on Pohnpei -- the coast is surrounded by mangrove swamps. Several smaller islets and atolls, many of
them inhabited, lie nearby and are included in the State of Pohnpei.
More than 30,000 people live on Pohnpei, although nearly a fourth of these are immigrants from other nearby islands or foreigners (mostly U.S.) working on the island. English is almost universally understood, although Pohnpeian is more commonly used between native residents. The main town on the island is Kolonia, on the north side. The most prominent feature on Pohnpei is probably Sokehs Rock. This huge volcanic plug is only one-fourth as high as some of the interior mountains, but its position looming over Kolonia harbor makes it a dramatic sight. Although it looks forbidding, you an actually climb up the back side quite easily, and the view from the top is one of the best on the island!
Pohnpei's climate is tropical and humid. Kolonia town gets about 195 inches (4.95 m) of rain per year. Further inland, the SDA School where I lived receives closer to 300 in/yr, and rainfall in the interior is estimated at over 400 in/yr, making Pohnpei one of the wettest places on Earth! This isn't as uncomfortable as it sounds. Clouds keep the
temperature in the 80's during the daytime, and there is usually a light breeze. Once you get used to it (it takes a while), it's the perfect climate, just right, all the time. Typhoons rarely hit Pohnpei; more often they are spawned in Micronesia and sent on to Guam. Every several years or so on average, a mildly damaging tropical storm or
depression will affect the island.
This tropical climate keeps Pohnpei lush and green all the time. The heavy rainfall feeds a number of freshwater rivers and dozens of waterfalls, making the interior of Pohnpei one of the most beautiful places in the world. There are no dangerous snakes, animals, or insects, except for the centipede. Usually about six inches long, they can
grow almost as large as one foot and carry a poisonous bite. Fortunately, they would rather live under rocks than in people's houses.
Micronesian Islands Map
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