This article focuses on the territories of the United States. It’s part of a three-part series explaining the current day situation of the remnants of the colonial empires of the early 20th century, almost all of which are small islands scattered around the world. Other parts of the territories series examine the status of British …
I visited the rock islands of Palau back in 2007. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in July of 2012. There are few places that were more deserving of World Heritage status than the rock islands of Palau. Despite being one of the smallest countries in the world, the rock islands feature …
Nan Madol is one of the most fascinating and significant places in the Pacific. I first visited Nan Madol in 2007 as I began my around the world trip. However, it took until 2016 to be placed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The site is extremely deserving of world heritage status and for …
I am not being paid anything for this post. I will not receive any sort of commission. In fact they have no idea I’m writing this. I’m not even sure if they remember me or my visit. I am always asked for suggestions on where to travel. Everyone wants to find some place which is …
I want to post this before I leave Micronesia and forget about it. While walking through the Guam airport I was struck by a large sign that listed the Micronesian servicemen and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I knew that Guam and CNMI had soldiers in the US military. While I was in …
Guam isn’t something you think about much, so I had no idea what to expect. I was mentally using American Samoa as my measuring stick for Guam. Both are American territories in the Pacific, so I figure that would be as good a benchmark as any. (Actually, I do have one thing when I think …
As I previously mentioned, I had no preconceived notions about Guam. Having nothing to compare it with, I sort of used American Samoa as a benchmark. American Samoa is a US territory, but it seems very subdued about it. You will see American flags flying here and there in American Samoa, but it is first …
I don’t think I was prepared for Saipan. Most of the places I’ve been in the Pacific have been….well, Pacific. There has been a common thread to them. They are all sort of laid back and underdeveloped to various degrees. They take pride in local customs and languages, even if they are only used to …
After having gone ga-ga over Pohnpei, I wouldn’t think I would have been as impressed with Kosrae, but I was. My stay on Kosrae was at the Kosrae Village which was very similar, at least in construction, to the Village in Pohnpei. All of the structures were built by locals out of local materials in …