Micronesia

Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, located in the north-western Pacific Ocean, made up of around 2,000 small islands. It shares a close cultural history with three other island regions: in the west with maritime Southeast Asia, in the east with Polynesia, and in the south with Melanesia and the wider community of Austronesian peoples. This region has a maritime tropical climate and forms part of the Oceanic realm. It comprises four main archipelagos: the Caroline Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Mariana Islands and the Marshall Islands, as well as a number of islands that are not part of any of the archipelagos. The islands can be divided into two general types: high volcanic islands with a wide variety of plant species, and low-lying coral atolls with poorer soils. Yap Island is unique in that it is formed by folds in the Earth's crust and is continental in geological composition. Mangrove swamps grow along the coast on the high islands, while grassland or scrubland rises into tropical rainforests in the interior mountainous areas. Settlements are almost invariably close to the coast. With their rich soils, the volcanic islands are home to a wide variety of plant species. The dominant forms of vegetation on the coral atolls are the coconut palm, pandanus and breadfruit trees. Atoll inhabitants tend to build their houses on the lagoon side of the island. The Yap Islands are home to a number of endemic bird species, including the Yap Monarch and the Olive White-Eye, as well as four other species of birds with a restricted range. The endangered Yap Flying Fox is also endemic to Yap Island.