mar ri ages ▁between ▁Japanese ▁sett lers ▁and ▁Mic ron es ians ▁during ▁the ▁Japanese ▁colonial ▁period . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁growing ▁exp atri ate ▁population ▁of ▁Americans , ▁Austral ians , ▁Europe ans , ▁and ▁residents ▁from ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁English ▁has ▁become ▁the ▁common ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁government , ▁and ▁for ▁secondary ▁and ▁t ert i ary ▁education . ▁Out side ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁capital ▁towns ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁F SM ▁states , ▁the ▁local ▁languages ▁are ▁primarily ▁spoken . ▁Population ▁growth ▁remains ▁high ▁at ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 % ▁ann ually , ▁offset ▁somewhat ▁by ▁net ▁em igration . ▁ ▁L anguages ▁English ▁is ▁the ▁official ▁and ▁common ▁language . ▁Bes ide ▁it ▁the ▁following ▁Aust ron esian ▁languages ▁are ▁being ▁spoken : ▁ ▁Religion ▁ ▁Most ▁Mic ron es ians ▁are ▁Christian . ▁Several ▁Protest ant ▁denomin ations , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁are ▁present ▁in ▁every ▁Mic ron esian ▁state . ▁Most ▁Protest ant ▁groups ▁trace ▁their ▁roots ▁to ▁American ▁Cong reg ational ist ▁mission aries . ▁On ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Kos ra e , ▁the ▁population ▁is ▁approximately ▁ 7 , 8 0 0 ; ▁ 9 5 ▁percent ▁are ▁Protest ants . ▁On ▁P ohn pe i , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 5 , 0 0 0 ▁is ▁even ly ▁divided ▁between ▁Protest ants ▁and ▁C athol ics . ▁Most ▁imm igr ants ▁are ▁Filip ino ▁C athol ics