Caroline Islands
Native name: Islas Carolinas Nickname: New Philippines | |
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Map of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau | |
Location of Caroline Islands in the Pacific | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Western Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 7°N 147°E / 7°N 147°E |
| Archipelago | Micronesia |
| Adjacent to | Pacific Ocean |
| Total islands | 963 |
| Major islands | Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Palau |
| Area | 1,300 km2 (500 sq mi) |
| Length | 3,540 km (2200 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 791 m (2595 ft) |
| Highest point | Dolohmwar, Pohnpei |
| Administration | |
Federated States of Micronesia and Palau | |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Carolinian |
| Population | 125,000 (2024) |
| Languages | Micronesian languages, English |
| Ethnic groups | Micronesian, Filipino, Japanese |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone |
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| Area and population estimates include Federated States of Micronesia and Palau | |
The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the central and eastern parts of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end. Historically, this area was also called Nuevas Filipinas or New Philippines, because they were part of the Spanish East Indies and were governed from Manila in the Philippines.
The Carolines are scattered across a distance of approximately 3,540 kilometres (1,910 nmi), from the westernmost island, Tobi, in Palau, to the easternmost island, Kosrae, a state of the FSM.