archipelago in the W Pacific: in 1979, four of its five districts gained internal self-government as the Federated States of Micronesia, but remained a part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands until 1990
See Caroline Islands in American Heritage Dictionary 4
An archipelago of the western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines. The islands were controlled successively by Spain, Germany, and Japan before being included in the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands after 1947. All of the islands except Palau joined (1979) the Federated States of Micronesia.