▁approximately ▁) ▁that ▁cover ▁a ▁longitud inal ▁distance ▁of ▁almost ▁ ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁equ ator . ▁They ▁lie ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁south ▁of ▁Gu am ▁and ▁the ▁Marian as , ▁west ▁of ▁Na uru ▁and ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands , ▁east ▁of ▁Pal au ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁about ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁eastern ▁Australia , ▁ 3 , 4 0 0 ▁km ▁( 2 , 1 3 3 ▁mi ) ▁sout heast ▁of ▁Japan , ▁and ▁some ▁ ▁south west ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁islands ▁of ▁Hawai i . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁F SM ' s ▁total ▁land ▁area ▁is ▁quite ▁small , ▁it ▁occup ies ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean , ▁giving ▁the ▁country ▁the ▁ 1 4 th - larg est ▁exclusive ▁economic ▁zone ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁so ver eign ▁island ▁nation ' s ▁capital ▁is ▁Pal ik ir , ▁located ▁on ▁P ohn pe i ▁Island , ▁while ▁the ▁largest ▁city ▁is ▁W eno , ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Ch u uk ▁At oll . ▁ ▁Each ▁of ▁its ▁four ▁states ▁is ▁centered ▁on ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁main ▁high ▁islands , ▁and ▁all ▁but ▁Kos ra e ▁include ▁numerous ▁out lying ▁at oll s . ▁The ▁Feder ated ▁States ▁of ▁Mic ron esia ▁is ▁spread ▁across ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Caroline ▁Islands ▁in ▁the ▁wider ▁region ▁of ▁Mic ron esia , ▁which ▁consists ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁small ▁islands ▁divided ▁among ▁several ▁countries . ▁The ▁term ▁Mic ron esia ▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁Feder ated ▁States