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The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a young independent nation, which consists of over 600 islands, with a total land area of only 701 sq km. The islands are located in the western Pacific Ocean over an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of approximately 2.9 million sq km and a maximum height of 791 m above sea level. There are four states which comprise FSM. From west to east they are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. The population of these islands was estimated at 116 400 in 19991 , with Chuuk being the most populous state. FSM encompasses both mountainous islands with fertile volcanic soils and remarkably high rainfall, as well as low-lying atolls. It is endowed with abundant and varied marine resources and limited land-based resources. The economy of FSM is quite reliant on foreign aid. Other mainstays include fisheries, agriculture and tourism. Copra, fish and trochus shell contribute to the export earnings of the country.

The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago of about 150 islands (of which 36 are inhabited) within an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 700 000 sq km. Its total land area is approximately 649 sq km with a maximum height of 1 030 m above sea-level. There are three principal groups of islands that make up the coral line and volcanic islands of Tonga. To the south is the Tonga tapu group, named after the largest island in Tonga, on which the capital Nuku’alofa is located. The Ha’apai group is in the centre, the Vava’u group in the north and the small Niuas group in the far north. The total population of the country in 1999 stood at about 100 000