The Federated States of Micronesia lie 3,680km (2,300 miles) north of Australia and 4,000km (2,500 miles) west of Hawaii.
They comprise 607 islands scattered over 1.6 million sq km (617,761 sq miles), the most widely spread Pacific Islands group. Yap’s uplands are covered by dry meadows and scrub growth. Chuuk lagoon is circled by one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, while Pohnpei has mountains rising to over 600m (2,000ft).