Kosrae
Encyclopedia
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island
Lelu Island
Lelu Island is a small island in Lelu Harbour, in the Lelu municipality of Kosrae....
.
Geography
With a population of 7,700 (2010 census), Kosrae is the most eastern of the Caroline IslandsCaroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
. The island is located approximately 370 miles (595.5 km) north of the equator, between Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Its land area is approximately 42 square miles (108.8 km²). Some parts of the island are experiencing coastal erosion.
Kosrae is a high island
High island
In geology , a high island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, whose origin is due to sedimentation or uplifting of coral reefs.-Definition and origin:...
that is largely unspoiled, as it is off the regular tourist routes. Kosrae is becoming a destination for scuba divers
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
and hikers
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
. The coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s that surround the island are kept in pristine condition through an extensive mooring buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
system, installed and maintained by concerned expat dive operators with the help of the Governments Marine Resources office. The reefs are seldom visited, and contain miles of hard corals, some said to be thousands of years old.
Dense vegetation and steep mountains keep the island largely undeveloped. Viewed from the sea, the island's distinct shape resembles a female body. This has led to the island being called "the island of the sleeping lady."
Kosrae International Airport
Kosrae International Airport
Kosrae International Airport is an airport serving Kosrae, the easternmost state of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is located on an artificial island within the fringing reef about 150 meters from the coast and is connected to the main island by a causeway.On Continental's current...
(IATA
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
code KSA) is located on an artificial island within the fringing reef about 150 meters from the coast and is connected to the main island by a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
. It is served by Continental Micronesia
Continental Micronesia
Continental Micronesia, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines. It operated daily flights to Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as international services to Asia, Micronesia and Australia from its base of operations at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport on Guam, a U.S. territory in...
"Island Hopper" flights (twice a week in each direction) between Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, stopping at other FSM and Marshall
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
ese destinations on the way.
There is one significant nearshore island within the fringing reef around Kosrae, which is Lelu Island
Lelu Island
Lelu Island is a small island in Lelu Harbour, in the Lelu municipality of Kosrae....
, and it is only 2 square kilometre (0.77220431718507 sq mi) in area, but with a population of around 1,500. It belongs to Lelu municipality, which includes the area around Tofol
Tofol
Tofol is the capital of the state of Kosrae in Micronesia.-Location:Tofol is in Lelu municipality, located almost directly southwest of Lelu Island....
, the state capital. Other very small, uninhabited islands within the fringing reef are, Yen Yen and Yenasr (also in Lelu municipality), the airport island, Kiul, Mutunyal, Sroansak (Tafunsak municipality), and Srukames (also Tafunsak municipality, Walung
Walung
Walung was the smallest of the original five municipalities of the state of Kosrae, Micronesia. Since the 1980s, it has been part of the municipality of Tafunsak.-Geography:...
part).
Education
The Kosrae Department of Education operates six public elementary schools (Tafunsak Elementary School, Malem Elementary School, Utwe Elementary School, Lelu Elementary School, Sansrik Elementary School, Walung Elementary School) and one high school (Kosrae High School). There is also one private school (Kosrae Seventh-day Adventist School).In July 2011, Kosrae DOE embraced the One Laptop per Child programme, distributing 720 "XO" computers to children in its public elementary schools, becoming the first State of Micronesia to do so.
Languages
The official language of Kosrae is Kosraean, although the English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
may also be used in government discourse. According to the Constitution of Kosrae, English is held to have "equal authority" to Kosraean (although in an instance where the Kosraean and English versions of the Constitution are held to be in irresolvable conflict, the Kosraean version prevails)
History
Archaeological evidence shows that the island was settled at least by the early years of the first millennium AD. This includes the city of Leluh that existed from about 1250 AD, and in its heyday had a population of about 1,500 and covered some 27 hectares. It featured burial pyramids for the nobility.By the time of the island's first contact with European travellers in 1824, Kosrae had a highly stratified society, typical of the surrounding islands of the time. Its cultural features included matrilineal lineage and clans, with a feudal structure of "nobles" controlling land worked by "commoners" and settlements consisting of small groups of close relatives sharing a single cook house.
The first missionary post was established by Congregationalists in 1852, and virtually the whole island had converted to Christianity by the 1870s. Today, many sects of Christianity are represented on Kosrae, and religion still plays an integral role in culture.
The pirate Bully Hayes
Bully Hayes
William Henry "Bully" Hayes has been described as a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneers", who together with Ben Pease, engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s. Hayes operated across the breadth of the Pacific in the 1850s until his murder on 31 March 1877 by his cook Peter...
was shipwrecked on Kosrae on March 15, 1874, when his ship the Leonora was caught in Lelu harbor during a storm. Bully Hayes
Bully Hayes
William Henry "Bully" Hayes has been described as a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneers", who together with Ben Pease, engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s. Hayes operated across the breadth of the Pacific in the 1850s until his murder on 31 March 1877 by his cook Peter...
made his home in Utwe
Utwe
Utwe is the second-largest municipality in the Micronesian state of Kosrae, the largest being Tafunsak.-Geography:Utwe occupies the very South of the island, but has no coast on its East border. As of 1994, the total population of Utwe was 1,056...
for seven months, during which he terrorized the local people.
In September 1874 HMS Rosario
HMS Rosario (1860)
HMS Rosario was an 11-gun Rosario-class screw sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1860 at Deptford Dockyard. She served two commissions, including eight years on the Australia Station during which she fought to reduce illegal kidnappings of South Sea Islanders for the Queensland labour market. She...
under the command of Captain Dupuis arrives to investigate the claims against Hayes, who is arrested but then escaped in a 14 foot boat, built of timber from the wreck of the Leonora. Leaving, it is believed, his treasure buried somewhere in the forest. (However, subsequent diggings have failed to uncover any such treasure.). As with all of the Caroline Islands, sovereignty passed to the Empire of Germany in 1899. The island came under the control of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Extensive economic improvements took place during the Japanese South Pacific Mandate
South Pacific Mandate
The was the Japanese League of Nations mandate consisting of several groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean which came under the administration of Japan after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.-Early history:Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, after the start of World...
of 1914 to 1945. The island was practically run by a few missionaries who converted the population; Willard Price
Willard Price
Willard DeMille Price was a Canadian-born American natural historian and author of children's fiction.Price was born in Peterborough, Ontario, and his family subsequently moved to the United States when he was four. He acquired his MA and Litt.D from Columbia University, before going on to edit...
, when he visited in the 1930s, reported that the island had no jail, there had been no murders there in sixty years, and alcohol and tobacco were unheard of. The island was fortified by the Japanese during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but no battles occurred on Kosrae. The Japanese garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
commanded by Lieutenant-General Yoshikazu Harada consisted of 3,811 IJA
IJA
IJA can refer to:* Imperial Japanese Army* International Jugglers' Association* International Jousting Association* Instituto Justo Arosemena* The Internet Journal of Anesthesiology* International Judges Association* Empress Ija...
men including a company of tanks and 700 IJA
IJA
IJA can refer to:* Imperial Japanese Army* International Jugglers' Association* International Jousting Association* Instituto Justo Arosemena* The Internet Journal of Anesthesiology* International Judges Association* Empress Ija...
men. Tunnel bunkers were dug into the tops of some of the island's interior peaks and some are still intact.
In 1945, administration over Kosrae passed to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which ruled the island as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1986.-History:...
. Aid and investment increased from the 1960s.
During the Trust Territory (TTPI) period, Kosrae was initially administered as one of the municipalities of the Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
(Pohnpei) District, but in 1977 became a separate district. When the Micronesian constitution was defeated in the TTPI districts of Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
and the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, Kosrae joined the remaining districts (Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, Chuuk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
and Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
) to form the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
(FSM). Kosrae is the only one-island FSM state (whereby the seven or eight small nearshore islands within the fringing reef, most importantly Lelu Island
Lelu Island
Lelu Island is a small island in Lelu Harbour, in the Lelu municipality of Kosrae....
, are subsumed under the main island), while the other three states are each composed of many islands.
Until 1977, Kosrae was subdivided into districts or villages at the sub-municipality level:
- Lelu (consisting of Lelu IslandLelu IslandLelu Island is a small island in Lelu Harbour, in the Lelu municipality of Kosrae....
only) - Yepen (mainland part of today's Lelu municipality, with Tofol, the state capital
- Tafunsak (roughly corresponding to today's Tafunsak municipality)
- Malem (roughly corresponding to today's Malen municipality)
- Utwa (roughly corresponding to today's Utwa municipality)
By 1980, five municipalities five had been created from the former villages or districts:
- Lelu (created from the villages of Lelu district (island) and Yepen district)
- Tafunsak (created from the northeastern part of Tafunsak district)
- Walung (created from the southwestern part of Tafunsak district)
- Malem (created from Malem district)
- Utwa (created from Utwa district)
The number of municipalities has subsequently been reduced to four (by integrating Walung into Tafunsak).
Economy
In early times, a system of exchange based on sea shells existed on Kosrae, although little is currently known about how it operated.Since the 1960s, the Kosraean government has become the main employer on the island, where fishing and traditional farming remain the main source of the islanders' subsistence. Imports have replaced almost all other native manufactures. The U.S dollar is the official currency used in Kosrae and throughout Micronesia.
There is a small tourism industry, mainly centered around scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
on the coral reef that rings the island.
Food
Traditional foods included breadfruitBreadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
, yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
, and sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
. Breadfruit was the usual staple food, and it was preserved in leaf-lined pits for times of scarcity. Coconuts were reserved for nobles.
Food was a central part of island life, since each settlement consisted of small family groups gathered around a cook house containing at least one earth oven. Soft taro was made into a feast food called fahfah by men trained in the elaborate skills needed to prepare it properly, who also prepared suhka (Kava). Brewed from the roots of a mountain plant, Suhka was served to members of the nobility. Fish were harvested mainly from the lagoon using nets.
Daily food for most families today consists of imported rice, tinned meats and fish, combined with fresh local fish and root crops. Even today, fahfah and pork are considered mainly feast foods. It is thought that the Japanese introduced limes to the island, which now bear fruit almost all year round and are of the highest quality. Tangerines, which are green when ripe, also abound, and are famous and sought after throughout the surrounding islands. Mountain apples, a tropical tree fruit unrelated to apples (Malus) are grown in many parts of Kosrae. There are many varieties of bananas, even some that must be cooked before eating and some could be eaten when still greenish (KALIFORNI). Few vegetables are grown on the island despite the favorable climate, in part because seeds are difficult to obtain. Although some state there are no pollinating insects on Kosrae, bees, flies and ants are known to pollinate plants on the island.
Municipalities
Kosrae State is subdivided into four municipalities.Of the originally five municipalities of 1980, Walung
Walung
Walung was the smallest of the original five municipalities of the state of Kosrae, Micronesia. Since the 1980s, it has been part of the municipality of Tafunsak.-Geography:...
was subsequently absorbed by Tafunsak.
| Municipality | Area km² |
Population (Census 1980) |
Population (Census 2010) |
remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lelu | 21.5 | 1,995 | 2,160 | |
| Malem Malem, Kosrae Malem, which literally translates to "Moon", is one of the five municipalities that comprise the state of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia.... |
16.8 | 1,091 | 1,300 | |
| Utwe Utwe Utwe is the second-largest municipality in the Micronesian state of Kosrae, the largest being Tafunsak.-Geography:Utwe occupies the very South of the island, but has no coast on its East border. As of 1994, the total population of Utwe was 1,056... |
28.5 | 912 | 983 | |
| Tafunsak Tafunsak Tafunsak is the largest settlement on the island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia. Its population was 2,457 at the 2000 census. This includes Walung, which had been incorporated into the municipality of Tafunsak since the 1980s. The area of the municipality is 42.8 km², making... |
23.3 | 1,342 | 2,173 | |
| Walung Walung Walung was the smallest of the original five municipalities of the state of Kosrae, Micronesia. Since the 1980s, it has been part of the municipality of Tafunsak.-Geography:... |
19.5 | 151 | part of Tafunsak | |
| Kosrae | 109.6 | 5,491 | 6,616 |
The capital of the state is Tofol
Tofol
Tofol is the capital of the state of Kosrae in Micronesia.-Location:Tofol is in Lelu municipality, located almost directly southwest of Lelu Island....
, in Lelu municipality.
See also
- Kosrae Crake
- Kosrae Island StarlingKosrae Island StarlingThe Kosrae Island Starling, also known as Kosrae Starling, and formerly as Kusaie Mountain Starling, is an extinct bird from the family of starlings...
- Kosrae Flying FoxKosrae Flying FoxThe Kosrae Flying Fox is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family found on the island of Kosrae, Micronesia....