Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia is a nation of astonishing diversity spread across 607 islands in the western Pacific. Four distinct states - Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae - each have their own language, culture, and character, united under a federal system that is still one of the youngest in the world. Yap is famous for its giant stone money discs, some weighing several tons, which are still used in ceremonial transactions. Chuuk Lagoon holds the world's largest underwater museum - an entire Japanese naval fleet sunk during World War II, now draped in coral.

Pohnpei is home to Nan Madol, one of the most mysterious archaeological sites on Earth - a city of 92 artificial islands built on a coral reef, sometimes called the Venice of the Pacific. Nobody is entirely sure how the basalt columns, some weighing 50 tons, were transported and stacked. And Kosrae, the quietest state, is a lush volcanic island surrounded by pristine reef. Life across Micronesia still runs deep with traditional customs - sakau ceremonies, navigational knowledge passed through generations, and a communal way of life that places family and clan at the center of everything.