Happy Birthday to Micronesia!

People performing a welcome ceremony. *Photo from Wikipedia

November 3 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Federated States of Micronesia from the United States in 1986.

The history of the modern Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is one of settlement by Micronesians; colonization by Spain, Germany, and Japan; United Nations trusteeship under United States-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and gradual independence beginning with the ratification of a sovereign constitution in 1979.
The FSM signed a Compact of Free Association with the United States, which entered into force on November 3, 1986, marking Micronesia’s emergence from trusteeship to independence. Independence was formally concluded under international law in 1990, when the United Nations officially ended the Trusteeship status.

The FSM is an independent sovereign island nation and a United States associated state consisting of four states (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) that are spread across the Western Pacific Ocean.

*Reference: Wikipedia