Chuuk is
one of four states-with Yap, Pohnpei, and Kosrae-in the
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Chuuk is located
approximately 7° north of the Equator and at 152° east
longitude-approximately the same as the east coast of Australia.
The FSM, this "sea of islands" with a total land mass of 701 sq.
km in a current economic exclusion zone of 3 million square
kilometers make up in combination with the Republic of Palau,
the Caroline Islands (named after a King of Spain).
Together with the
other island groups, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Guam,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic
of Nauru and the Republic of Kiribati, they form a region
Europeans termed Micronesia, and are distinct from the
two other Pacific Island regions, Polynesia and Melanesia.
The Micronesian
term, derived from the Greek and meaning "tiny islands" was
first put forward by Gregoire Louis Domeny de Rienzi in 1831
when he "asked for and received official approval from La
Société de Géographie in Paris to call these islands Micronesia"
(Hanlon, 1998). People from Chuuk and the FSM are often referred
to as Carolinians.
Chuuk consists of 19 "high" islands inside the lagoon, 10
atolls, and 225 "low" coralline islands many of which are
outside the lagoon. The high islands are the peaks of volcanic
mountains, with a total mass above water of approximately 91 sq.
km. The lagoon is approximately 63 km in diameter and is bounded
by a barrier reef enclosing approximately 2,125 sq. km. Chuuk
meaning "high mountains" is the traditional name that is used
now for the whole state although the region has never had one
name but the lagoon in the past has been called Hogoleu, Ruk,
and Truk
