▁or ▁to ▁the ▁region ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁ ▁The ▁F SM ▁was ▁formerly ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Trust ▁Territ ory ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Islands ▁( TT PI ), ▁a ▁United ▁Nations ▁Trust ▁Territ ory ▁under ▁U . S . ▁administration , ▁but ▁it ▁formed ▁its ▁own ▁constitution al ▁government ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁becoming ▁a ▁so ver eign ▁state ▁after ▁independence ▁was ▁att ained ▁on ▁November ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁under ▁a ▁Comp act ▁of ▁Free ▁Association ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Other ▁neighbor ing ▁island ▁entities , ▁and ▁also ▁former ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁T T PI , ▁form ulated ▁their ▁own ▁constitution al ▁govern ments ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁( R MI ) ▁and ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Pal au ▁( ROP ). ▁The ▁F SM ▁has ▁a ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Community ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁Mic ron es ians ▁settled ▁over ▁four ▁thousand ▁years ▁ago . ▁A ▁decent ral ized ▁ch ie ft ain - based ▁system ▁eventually ▁evol ved ▁into ▁a ▁more ▁central ized ▁economic ▁and ▁religious ▁culture ▁centered ▁on ▁Y ap ▁Island . ▁ ▁Nan ▁Mad ol , ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁small ▁artificial ▁islands ▁linked ▁by ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁can als , ▁is ▁often ▁called ▁the ▁Ven ice ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁It ▁is ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁eastern ▁peri