Habele Research Institute

Micronesia is the region of small islands and atolls spanning the western Pacific, encompassing the Mariana Islands, Palau, the Caroline Islands, and the Marshall Islands. Collectively, these small, diverse, and widely scattered islands form a strategic crossroads across the western Pacific between East Asia and North America.

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) comprises the Caroline Islands and is made up of four disparate states—Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. Palau lies to the west; the Marshall Islands to the east. Together, the FSM, Palau, and the Marshall Islands are known as the Freely Associated States (FAS), linked to the United States through Compacts of Free Association (COFA).

Habele Institute

The Habele Research Institute is a research, reference, and analysis hub focused on Yap and the wider Micronesian region. It brings together curated archives, original research, and long-standing local and practitioner insight.

Building on this foundation, the Institute supports context-setting, dialogue, and informed engagement between local communities and those working in or with the region. The Institute is a sister organization of the Habele Fund.

Resources

History of Micronesia (HOM): A multi-volume collection of translated primary source documents, from early contact through the late 20th century.

Publications Guide: An annotated bibliography of books, articles, reports, and other key references.

Backgrounders & Analysis: Institute-written reference pages and analytical articles on places, people, organizations, events, and issues across Micronesia.