The Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands, a group of about 500 volcanic and coral islands in Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands are north of New Guinea and east of the Philippines, extending for about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from east to west. The total land area is only 463 square miles (1,199 km2). Yap, Truk, and Palau are the largest groups, and Ponape and Kusaie are the largest single islands. Products include coconuts, tapioca, sugar, copra, and arrowroot.
The Carolines belonged to Spain from 1686 to 1899, when they were sold to Germany. Along with the Marshalls and Marianas, they were seized by Japan during World War I. They became a League of Nations mandate under Japanese control in 1919. In 1947 the Carolines were made a part of a United Nations trust territory with the United States as trustee. In 1986 all of the Carolines except the Palau Islands became independent as the Federated States of Micronesia; in 1994 the Palau Islands became independent as the Republic of Palau.
