Micronesia (Federated States of Micronesia)

http://www.humantruth.info/micronesia.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	161st best
Capital	Palikir
Land Area	3 170km²₁
Location	Australasia, Micronesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.1m₂
Life Expectancy	70.71yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$3 696 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	FM, FSM, 583₅
Internet Domain	.fm₆
Currency	Dollar (USD)₇
Telephone	+691₈

1. Overview

“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 US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“The four unique states of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap have distinct cultures, traditions and identities as colourful and diverse as the multitudes of coral formations that live in their fringing reefs. Known collectively as the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), these four states are otherwise unrelated, and travellers looking to experience a variety of lifestyles are in luck.
Kosrea is a Pacific paradise and arguably FSM´s most beautiful island. Its people are true believers, and here everything shuts down on Sunday and full focus is given to vibrant all-singing, all-dancing church ceremonies (with a relaxed island twist).
Pohnpei is home to mysterious ancient ruins and a plethora of lush landforms, and retains a system of chiefs and clan titles - a distinct style of governance that still exerts significant social and political influence.
Chuuk is renowned for its wreck diving, and while it is just coming to terms with international tourism, the uncompromising nature of the Chuukese holds firm.
Last, but not least, Yap is a fiercly traditional state retaining a true island spirit. Its people retain their architecture, customs, religions and gigantic stone money - it´s an eternally fascinating place.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Micronesia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
131	Marshall Islands	0.639
132	India	0.633
133	Ghana	0.632
134	Micronesia	0.628
135	Guatemala	0.627
136	Kiribati	0.624
137	Honduras	0.621
138	Sao Tome & Principe	0.618
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
154	Nepal	$3 877
155	Myanmar (Burma)	$3 851
156	Zimbabwe	$3 810
157	Micronesia	$3 696
158	Cameroon	$3 621
159	Sudan	$3 575
160	Benin	$3 409
161	Senegal	$3 344
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Norway	25.2
2	Denmark	26.1
3	Taiwan	26.6
	...
158	Ivory Coast	90.8
159	Libya	90.8
160	Mali	91.0
161	Micronesia	91.4
162	Laos	91.7
163	Myanmar (Burma)	91.8
164	Marshall Islands	92.3
165	Mozambique	92.7
	Australasia Avg	79.7
	World Avg	70.6
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Micronesia's Demographics and Migration

#1990s #2000s #2010s #birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Micronesia's population is predicted to rise to 128 767 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.33. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
177	Samoa	0.2m
178	St Lucia	0.2m
179	Kiribati	0.1m
180	Micronesia	0.1m
181	Grenada	0.1m
182	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.1m
183	Tonga	0.1m
184	Seychelles	97 096
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
106	Mongolia	71.0
107	Uzbekistan	70.9
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₃
Pos.		2013₁₃
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
129	Swaziland	3.21
130	Bolivia	3.25
131	Pakistan	3.25
132	Micronesia	3.33
133	Sao Tome & Principe	3.52
134	Djibouti	3.61
135	Vanuatu	3.77
136	Samoa	3.77
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₄
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₄
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
75	Bangladesh	10.6
76	Nepal	10.8
77	Bhutan	10.8
78	Micronesia	10.8
79	Honduras	11.0
80	Turkmenistan	11.0
81	Maldives	11.0
82	Mongolia	11.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₅
Pos.		2017 %₁₅
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
108	Cape Verde	2.8%
109	Burundi	2.8%
110	Chile	2.7%
111	Micronesia	2.6%
112	Azerbaijan	2.6%
113	Kiribati	2.6%
114	Samoa	2.5%
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₆
Pos.		2010 %₁₆
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
28	Portugal	20.8%
29	Lesotho	20.5%
30	El Salvador	20.5%
31	Micronesia	19.7%
32	Belarus	18.4%
33	Eritrea	18.0%
34	Croatia	17.1%
35	Liechtenstein	17.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Micronesia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freethought #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to Australasia (2020)₁₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₇
1	New Zealand	17.5
2	Australia	24.1
3	Fiji	102.4
4	Papua New Guinea	122.4
5	Nauru	123.4
6	Micronesia	128.8
7	Palau	131.0
8	Tonga	132.9
9	Marshall Islands	134.6
10	Samoa	136.1
11	Vanuatu	138.2
12	Kiribati	138.4
13	Cook Islands	144.5
	Australasia Avg	120.0
q=15.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₇
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
	...
170	Grenada	128.6
171	Equatorial Guinea	128.6
172	Myanmar (Burma)	128.7
173	Micronesia	128.8
174	Chad	130.6
175	Palau	131.0
176	Tonga	132.9
177	Syria	133.1
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₈. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₁₈.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₈.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₁₉
Pos.		2009 Treaties₁₉
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
183	Tonga	6
184	Pakistan	6
185	Tuvalu	5
186	Micronesia	5
187	Singapore	5
188	Nauru	5
189	Marshall Islands	4
190	Myanmar (Burma)	4
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₀
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₀
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
183	Papua New Guinea	15.23
184	Brunei	15.29
185	Tonga	15.55
186	Micronesia	15.55
187	Somalia	15.71
188	Kiribati	15.80
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
190	Nauru	16.16
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		0 Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
172	Zimbabwe	1978
173	Marshall Islands	1979
174	Palau	1979
175	Micronesia	1979
176	Iraq	1980
177	Vanuatu	1980
178	Liechtenstein	1984
179	Djibouti	1986
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2017 Score₂₁
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
87	Nauru	20
88	Marshall Islands	20
89	Guinea-Bissau	20
90	Micronesia	20
91	Armenia	20
92	Mozambique	17
93	Laos	15
94	Haiti	15
	Australasia Avg	07.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2021₂₂
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
	...
19	USA	1.8
20	Kosovo	1.8
21	St Kitts & Nevis	1.8
22	Micronesia	1.8
23	Mozambique	1.8
24	Burkina Faso	1.8
25	Namibia	1.8
26	Slovenia	1.8
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Micronesia's Health

#1990s #2000s #2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #Micronesia #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #vaccines

Compared to Australasia (2020)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₃
1	Solomon Islands	82.0
2	Australia	84.6
3	Kiribati	87.0
	...
8	Tonga	104.1
9	Samoa	107.8
10	Tuvalu	112.5
11	Micronesia	114.2
12	Papua New Guinea	120.8
13	Cook Islands	123.7
14	Nauru	134.8
15	Palau	146.0
16	Marshall Islands	158.3
	Australasia Avg	109.4
q=16.

Health (2020)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₃
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
	...
168	Togo	113.6
169	Liberia	113.8
170	Mozambique	113.9
171	Micronesia	114.2
172	Argentina	114.9
173	Central African Rep.	115.5
174	Laos	115.9
175	Guinea-Bissau	116.4
	World Avg	93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives₂₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₂₄.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₂₄, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₂₄.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Micronesia has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Micronesia does better than average for its alcohol consumption rate₂₅ and in its adolescent birth rate₂₆ (one of the lowest in Australasia). And finally, it does worse than average when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₁ (still high for Australasia), its fertility rate₁₃ and in its immunizations take-up₂₇ (amongst the worst in Australasia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Micronesia improved by +3.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
106	Mongolia	71.0
107	Uzbekistan	70.9
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₂₅
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
47	Mozambique	2.4
48	Samoa	2.5
49	Micronesia	2.5
50	Guatemala	2.5
51	Congo, DR	2.6
52	Uzbekistan	2.7
53	Ghana	2.7
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₃
Pos.		2013₁₃
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
129	Swaziland	3.21
130	Bolivia	3.25
131	Pakistan	3.25
132	Micronesia	3.33
133	Sao Tome & Principe	3.52
134	Djibouti	3.61
135	Vanuatu	3.77
136	Samoa	3.77
	Australasia Avg	3.26
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2016 %₂₈
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
179	Saudi Arabia	69.7
180	Qatar	71.7
181	Kuwait	73.4
182	Micronesia	75.9
183	Samoa	77.6
184	Tonga	78.5
185	Kiribati	78.7
186	Niue	80.0
	Australasia Avg	73.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2015 Per 1000₂₆
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
47	Australia	14.1
48	UK	14.6
49	Sri Lanka	14.8
50	Micronesia	15.0
51	Tonga	15.2
52	Mongolia	15.7
53	Turkmenistan	16.4
54	Myanmar (Burma)	16.5
	Australasia Avg	30.1
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₂₇
Pos.		2015 Avg %₂₇
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
160	Lebanon	79.4
161	San Marino	79.3
162	Gabon	78.7
163	Micronesia	78.2
164	Philippines	77.9
165	Sweden	77.8
166	Ivory Coast	76.9
167	Congo, DR	76.5
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Micronesia's Modernity and Learning

#1990s #2000s #2010s #education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2020)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	New Zealand	17.6
2	Australia	19.2
3	Palau	59.3
	...
8	Nauru	99.0
9	Marshall Islands	102.8
10	Samoa	103.4
11	Vanuatu	117.0
12	Micronesia	131.3
13	Kiribati	143.0
14	Tuvalu	148.0
15	Papua New Guinea	150.4
16	Solomon Islands	152.7
	Australasia Avg	98.1
q=16.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
	...
175	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	129.0
176	Honduras	130.6
177	Liberia	130.8
178	Micronesia	131.3
179	Tanzania	132.0
180	Mozambique	133.8
181	Yemen	134.4
182	Mauritania	134.7
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Length of Schooling Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		2021 Years₃₀
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
142	Kiribati	11.8
143	Nauru	11.7
144	Tajikistan	11.7
145	Micronesia	11.5
146	Vanuatu	11.5
147	Cambodia	11.5
148	Lebanon	11.3
149	Rwanda	11.2
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2016₃₁
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
128	Kyrgyzstan	34%
129	Egypt	33%
130	Cuba	32%
131	Micronesia	31%
132	Vanuatu	31%
133	Syria	30%
134	Sri Lanka	29%
135	Samoa	29%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₃₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
123	Mongolia	0.0
124	Samoa	0.0
125	Albania	0.0
126	Micronesia	0.0
127	Algeria	0.0
128	Djibouti	0.0
129	Guyana	0.0
130	Namibia	0.0
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		2018₃₃
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
119	Tanzania	50.8
120	China	50.7
121	Thailand	49.9
122	Micronesia	49.8
123	Libya	49.8
124	Ghana	49.7
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49.5
126	Senegal	49.5
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		0 Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
61	UK	1994 Sep 01
62	Chad	1994 Sep 05
63	Gambia	1994 Sep 08
64	Micronesia	1994 Sep 18
65	Malaysia	1994 Sep 22
66	Benin	1994 Sep 28
67	France	1994 Sep 29
68	Netherlands	1994 Oct 10
	Australasia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

8. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2019₃₄
1	Iceland	2.40
2	Singapore	2.50
3	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
115	Trinidad & Tobago	14.90
116	Philippines	15.30
117	Iraq	15.90
118	Micronesia	16.10
119	Tajikistan	16.70
120	Dominican Rep.	17.00
121	Sao Tome & Principe	17.00
122	Bhutan	17.10
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 %₃₅
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
	...
96	Uruguay	39.5
97	Sri Lanka	39.8
98	Iran	40.0
99	Micronesia	40.1
100	Philippines	40.1
101	Senegal	40.3
102	Argentina	40.6
103	Kenya	40.8
	Australasia Avg	38.3
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₆:

Christian	95.3%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.4%
Folk Religion	2.7%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 41.7% (Congregational 40.1%, Baptist 0.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 0.7%), other 3.8%, none or unspecified 0.8% (2000 Census)₃₇.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

There isn't much information in the database for Micronesia, most likely because it is either a part of another country (i.e., a territory or possession) and therefore most international statistics are counted for the country as a whole, or, this is such an exotic place that little data exists about it.