Editing Federated States of Micronesia (section)

=== Early Settlement and Nan Madol ===
The ancestors of the [[Micronesians]] settled over four thousand years ago.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Federated States of Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia |url=https://visit-micronesia.fm/about-fsm/ |access-date=March 29, 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref> A decentralized chieftain-based system eventually evolved into a more centralized economic and religious culture centered on [[Yap Island]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=February 3, 2012 |title=Federated States of Micronesia |url=https://www.pacificrisa.org/places/federated-states-of-micronesia/ |access-date=March 29, 2025 |website=Pacific RISA - Managing Climate Risk in Pacific Islands |language=en-US}}</ref>[[File:Reception of the Manila Galleon by the Chamorro in the Ladrones Islands, ca. 1590.jpg|thumb|300x300px|[[Manila galleon|Manila Galleon]] in the [[Mariana Islands|Marianas]] and [[Caroline Islands|Carolinas]], {{Circa|1590}} ''[[Boxer Codex]]'']]

[[Nan Madol]], a [[UNESCO]] [[List of World Heritage Sites in The Federated States of Micronesia|World Heritage Site]], consisting of a series of small [[artificial island]]s linked by a network of canals, is often called the Venice of the Pacific. It is located on the eastern periphery of the island of Pohnpei and used to be the ceremonial and political seat of the [[Saudeleur dynasty]] that united Pohnpei's estimated 25,000 people from about [[Anno Domini|AD]] 500 until 1500 when the centralized system collapsed.<ref name=":4" />