Micronesia
[ mahy-kruh-nee-zhuh, ‐shuh ]
/ ˌmaɪ krəˈni ʒə, ‐ʃə /
noun
one of the three principal divisions of Oceania, comprising the small Pacific islands N of the equator and E of the Philippines, whose main groups are the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, and the Marshall Islands.
Federated States of,
a group of islands in the W Pacific, in the Caroline Islands, comprising the islands of Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae: formerly a part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; now a self-governing area associated with the U.S. 271 sq. mi. (701 sq. km).
Example sentences from the Web for micronesia
British Dictionary definitions for micronesia
Micronesia
/ (ˌmaɪkrəʊˈniːzɪə) /
noun
one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific (the others being Melanesia and Polynesia); the NW division of Oceania: includes the Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, and Kiribati island groups, and Nauru Island
Federated States of Micronesia
an island group in the W Pacific, formerly within the United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands: comprises the islands of Truk, Yap, Ponape, and Kosrae: formed in 1979 when the islands became self-governing: status of free association with the US from 1982. Languages: English and Micronesian languages. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: US dollar. Capital: Palikir. Pop: 106 104 (2013 est)
Word Origin for Micronesia
C19: from
micro- + Greek
nēsos island; so called from the small size of many of the islands; on the model of
Polynesia