Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands , former Trusteeship of United Nations strategic areas that from 1947 to 1986 from the United States . The territory consisted of more than 2,000 islands covering over 7,770,000 square kilometers of tropical West Pacific scattered ocean , north of the equator between latitudes 1° and 22°N and longitudes 130° and 172°E. Most of the islands are quite small, the total land area being only about 1,800 Square kilometre. The trust territory included the as Micronesia ("tiny islands") and included three major island groups - the Marianas , the Carolines and the Marshalls . Guam , the southernmost of the Marianas, was excluded. Included are the islands of Kapingamarangi and Nukuoro, which are more culturally Polynesian than Micronesian. The seat of government of the trust was Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Portuguese and Spanish began exploring the Micronesian region in the 16th century. Later explorers, traders, and whalers were British, German, Russian, Japanese, and American. Spain initially expanded its control throughout Micronesia with little resistance from other European powers. In the late 19th century, however, Spanish rule over the region was challenged by Germany and the United Kingdom. To consolidate its influence in the region, Spain proclaimed 1874 the Sovereignty about the Marshall and Caroline groups. Germany moved undisputed on the Marshall Islands , and the two countries shared up to Spanish-American War power in Micronesia (1898). Spain's defeat in this conflict resulted in Guam being ceded to the United States and its remaining holdings in Micronesia being sold to Germany, which then controlled virtually the entire region.
On breakout of World War I Japan immediately relocated militarily to take over the German holdings in Micronesia. After Germany's defeat, Japan attempted to incorporate Micronesia into its empire, but the League of Nations made the islands one to be administered by Japan mandate . Nevertheless, the Tokyo government developed the area as if exercising full sovereignty. The region was WWII to a strategic battlefield. The United States eventually secured the islands during the course of their Pacific campaign. After the defeat of Japan, the United States retained control of the islands and became a United Nations Trust under US administration in 1947.
The legal basis for government within the territory was established in the Code of the Trust Territory, enacted in 1952. The code defined citizenship, providing a formal Code and created six administrative districts. The code recognized common law and allowed appointed rather than elected officials. The US government was responsible for the civil administration of the territory. In the 1950s, moving in direction Autonomy by critique at the UN Trusteeship Council and within the United States on the administration of the territory . In 1965, the territory elected the Congress of Micronesia and gave it legislative powers. In a Referendum of 1975 the The Northern Marianas Group voted to become a Commonwealth of the United States and was administered separately from the rest of the territory beginning in 1976. The remaining archipelagos were again reorganized into six districts, which in 1978 voted on a proposed constitution for the Federated States of Micronesia. Four of these districts (Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk and Yap; all in the Caroline Islands) agreed to the constitution and were formed as a new federation in 1979. The two dissenting districts, the Marshall Islands and Palau (or Belau in the Caroline Islands) formed republics in 1979 and 1981 respectively. The federation and two republics approved and voted in plebiscites (1982–83) for free association treaties with the United States. Free association, as defined in the Covenants, gave the republics full internal self-government and substantial authority in foreign affairs, but for a few years gave full responsibility to the United States and authority for their defense.
In 1986, the US government declared the Trust Territory agreements no longer in force. (The UN's approval - Security Council was technically necessary for ending the loyal, but politically motivated efforts of Soviet Union Hampering the decolonization process required a unilateral US termination of trust, which was approved by the majority of Trusteeship Rat of the United Nations.) The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands thus became sovereign Self-governing states with the United States responsible for their security and defense and the Northern Mariana Islands formally became one polity of the United States. The Republic of Palau entered into a treaty of free association with the United States and became a sovereign state in 1994.