Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania comprised of thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean, but the term also refers to the sovereign nation of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a collection of over 600 islands forming part of the Caroline Islands. The FSM, an independent nation since 1986, has a tropical climate and a population of about 144,000 people, with its economy heavily reliant on foreign aid and tourism. The nation comprises four states: Yap, Chuuk (Truk), Pohnpei, and Kosrae, with its capital on Pohnpei.