The Federated States of Micronesia, or simply Micronesia, is an island country in Micronesia, a subregion of Oceania. The federation consists of four states—from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae—that are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands that cover a longitudinal distance of almost 2,700 km (1,700 mi) just north of the equator. They lie northeast of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, south of Guam and the Marianas, west of Nauru and the Marshall Islands, east of Palau and the Philippines, about 2,900 km (1,800 mi) north of eastern Australia, 3,400 km (2,100 mi) southeast of Japan, and some 4,000 km (2,485 mi) southwest of the main islands of the Hawaiian Islands.
The politics of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) takes place in a framework of a federal assembly-independent representative democratic republic. The President of the Federated States of Micronesia is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the president and his cabinet, while legislative power is vested in both the president and the Congress. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Joseph John "Joe" Urusemal is a Micronesian political figure who served as the sixth President of the Federated States of Micronesia from 2003 until 2007.
John Richard Haglelgam is a Micronesian former politician who served as the second President of the Federated States of Micronesia.
The State of Yap is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the westernmost portion of the country. The state borders Palau to the southwest, Guam to the north, and Chuuk State to the east. According to the state's population census carried out in 2020, the total population is 11,577 residing across a total area of 119.54 sq km, though a large majority of the area is water. The only town area in the state, Colonia, serves as the state capital.
Benigno Repeki Fitial is a Northern Marianan politician who served was the sixth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. The second longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Fitial was elected on November 6, 2005, assumed office on January 9, 2006, and was re-elected to a (five-year) second term in 2009. He was impeached by the CNMI House of Representatives on February 11, 2013, and was scheduled to face trial before the CNMI Senate to determine if he should be removed from office. He resigned on February 20, 2013, after 7 years, 1 month, and 11 days in office.
Indirect presidential elections were held in the Federated States of Micronesia on May 11, 2007.
Sebastian L. Anefal is a Micronesian politician currently serving as the FSM Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Fiji. He was nominated by President Peter M. Christian to his current post in mid-2015 and took office on January 8, 2016.
The office of the Governor of Yap is the highest elected position in the state of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.
The office of the Governor of Pohnpei is the highest elected position in the state of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
Robert Ruecho is a Micronesian politician and diplomat. Ruecho served as the Governor of Yap, one of the four states which make up the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), from 2003 to 2007. He became the Consul-General for FSM on neighboring Guam on October 17, 2011.
The 2018 Northern Mariana gubernatorial election took place on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, to elect the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands to a four-year term in office. Incumbent Republican governor Ralph Torres, who ascended to governorship in December 2015 following the death of Governor Eloy Inos, sought election to a full term.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that the Federated States of Micronesia are fulfilling 94.9% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, the Federated States of Micronesia achieve 97.1% of what is expected based on their current income. In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 91.9% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. The Federated States of Micronesia fall into the "good" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 95.8% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Federated States of Micronesia on 5 March 2019, alongside a referendum on calling a Constitutional Convention. All 14 seats in Congress were up for election, and all 13 incumbents standing for re-election were returned to Congress.
Yap Women's Association is a women's rights organisation in Yap State, in the Federated States of Micronesia. Founded in 1955 as a non-profit, it works to provide resources for women in the state.
Jesse John Salalu is a Micronesian politician who served as the eighth Governor of Yap from December 29, 2021 to January 9, 2023. Salalu was sworn into office following Henry Falan being ousted by the Yap legislature. He previously served as lieutenant Governor of Yap under Falan from January 2019 to December 2021. He was the first Governor of Yap to be born on the outer islands, which meant his lieutenant governor had to have been born on the main island of Yap.
Henry S. Falan is a Micronesian politician and the former Governor of Yap from January 19, 2019, to December 17, 2022. Falan was removed from his position as governor by the Yap state legislature. Jesse Salalu, his former Lieutenant Governor, took his place as Governor of Yap.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Federated States of Micronesia on 7 March 2023 to elect the fourteen members of the Congress: ten representatives of the districts, and four senators each representing one of the four states.
The traditional councils of the Yap State are two assemblies of traditional leaders: the Pilung Council for the chiefs of the Yap Islands and the Tamol Council for the chiefs of the Outer Yap Islands. They have been established in 1992 by the Constitution of the Yap State, within the Federated States of Micronesia. The executive, the legislative, the judiciary and the traditional councils are the four institutional branches of government in the Yap State, but the councils, unlike the others, transcend the concept of the separation of powers. The councils are responsible for exercising the functions that relate to tradition and custom, which are not required to be recorded in the written law. In the Yap State, custom and tradition prevail over any interpretation of the constitution and even over any judicial decision. The councils have the right to veto legislation that they consider to be contrary to traditional practices. The constitutionality of these councils and their veto power could be challenged under the Micronesian Federal Constitutional Law, but to this date no one has done it.
The Constitution of the State of Yap, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, is the fundamental legal text of the State of Yap. It was adopted in 1982, promulgated on December 24 of the same year and came into force on January 1, 1983. Amendments were adopted by referendum and promulgated on November 24, 2006. The constitution comprises 15 articles. It can be consulted in English on the website of the Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia.
