The Federated States of Micronesia (Listeni/ˌmaɪkroʊˈniːʒə/; abbreviated FSM) is an independent sovereign island nation and a United States associated state consisting of four states – from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae – that are spread across the Western Pacific Ocean.
The Federated States of Micronesia lie 3,680km (2,300 miles) north of Australia and 4,000km (2,500 miles) west of Hawaii.
The politics of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) takes place in a framework of a federal representative democratic republic. The President of the Federated States of Micronesia is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the president and his cabinet, while legislative power is vested in both the president and the Congress. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.