Pohnpei
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Pompeii
, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.
Pohnpei "upon (pohn) a stone altar (pei)" (formerly known as Ponape) is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia
(FSM), situated among the Senyavin Islands
which are part of the larger Caroline Islands
group. Palikir
, the FSM's capital, is located on Pohnpei Island. Pohnpei International Airport
(IATA
code PNI
) is located near Kolonia
, on a small island named Deketik off the northern coast of the main island.
Pohnpei Island is the largest, highest, most populous, and most developed single island
in the FSM. The islanders of Pohnpei have a reputation as being the most welcoming of outsiders among residents of the island group. The island also contains a wealth of biodiversity
.
Pohnpei is one of the wettest places on earth with annual recorded rainfall exceeding 300 inches (7,620 mm) each year in certain mountainous locations.
. Pohnpei's outer islands include Pingelap
, Mokil
, Ant
, Pakin
, Ngatik
, Nukuoro
, and Kapingamarangi
. The land area of Pohnpei is given as 133.2 square mile. With the exception of coastal plains, talus slopes and alluvial fan
s most of Pohnpei is ruggedly mountainous, lush and verdant, with the highest peak at 791 metres (2,595.1 ft). The rainforest is dense and rich; extensive mangrove swamps line much of the low shore. The island is roughly circular in outline, its 80 miles (128.7 km) circumference is surrounded by a coral reef.
Pohnpei is home to several dozen bird species including four endemic species, the Pohnpei Lorikeet
, the Pohnpei Fantail
, the Pohnpei Flycatcher
and the Long-billed White-eye
. A fifth endemic, the Pohnpei Starling
, is thought to have recently gone extinct. The only land reptiles are a few species of lizard. Aboriginally, only three mammals existed: rats, bats and dogs. Pigs were introduced, some are now feral, as are the deer brought during German times. The lagoons are rich in fish, mollusks, turtles and other marine fauna.
in German New Guinea for one year of penal servitude.
Pre-Spanish population estimates are deemed unreliable, however, a drastic population decline occurred after 1854 due to a smallpox epidemic after European contact. The German census of 1911-12 shows 3,190 Pohnpeians, 585 Central Carolinians and 279 Melanesians. Many of the out-islanders were resettled (mainly on Sokehs Island) in consequence of destructive typhoons in their home islands. A special census conducted in late 1947 shows a total population of 5,628, of which 4,451 were Pohnpeians, and 1,177 were natives of other Pacific islands. By 1963 the population had grown to nearly 10,000. The population of the state in 2010 is approximately 34,000. While the majority of the population consider themselves ethnic Pohnpeians, Pohnpei is more ethnically diverse
than any other island in the FSM. This is largely due to more than a century of foreign colonial occupation, bringing in Spanish, German, Japanese, Chamorro, Filipino
, American, Australian, other western Europeans, and it being home to the capital of the national government
, which employs hundreds of people from the other three FSM States (Yap
, Chuuk
, Kosrae
) having distinct ethnic and cultural origins. The indigenous
makeup also includes the multiple regional ethnicities of the outer islands within Pohnpei State, resulting in a mix of Australasian Pacific Islanders and hence making Pohnpei Island the FSM's melting pot
.
ship San Geronimo. He sighted the island on 23 December 1595; his description is brief, he made no attempt to land. A second visitor, for whom good documentation exists, was the Australian John Henry Rowe, his barque John Bull did not arrive until 10 September 1825, he did not land either as his vessel was chased off by native canoes. The first lengthy description of the island and its inhabitants is presented by the Russian explorer Fyodor Litke, whose ship Senyavin gave the island group of Pohnpei, Ant and Pakin its name. From 14 January to 19 January 1828, his boats attempted to land but could not due to the hostility shown by the islanders, but natives then came aboard his ship, "some trading occurred, a short vocabulary was compiled, and a map made." F.H. von Kittlitz, a member of the Litke expedition made a further descriptive account, including the offshore ruins of Nan Madol
, and the two reports together provided the first real knowledge of Pohnpei. It is not clear who the next visitors were; however, when Capt. J.H. Eagleston of the barque Peru sighted the island on 3 January 1832 it was already on his charts as “Ascension Island.”
From this time onward whaling and trading vessels came in increasing numbers. Very soon a "large colony of beachcombers, escaped convicts, and ship's deserters became established ashore," identified as "chiefly bad characters," according to the log of the Swedish frigate Eugenie. The first missionary to arrive was Father Louis Desiré Maigret, a Roman Catholic priest. He had sailed from Honolulu on the schooner Notre Dame de Paix and began his efforts in December 1837, but he departed on 29 July 1838 for Valparaiso
after seven unsuccessful months. In his company were "several Mangarevans and Tahitians," some of whom remained on Pohnpei and left descendants. Ten years later Maigret returned to the Hawaiian kingdom as Bishop of Honolulu. A group of Protestant missionaries from New England established themselves permanently on Pohnpei in 1852. Their letters and journals contain a wealth of information about the island and are preserved at Harvard University.
By 1886 the Spaniards claimed the Caroline Islands and began to exert political authority. In consequence of the 1898 Spanish-American War
, the German Empire
purchased the Caroline island group from Spain in 1899 together with the Marianas (except Guam) and 4 years later the Marshall Islands for 17 million goldmark
.
During the German administration a fundamental change in land ownership was implemented on Pohnpei and throughout the Carolines. Beginning in 1907 the feudal system, where all land is held in fief, was gradually replaced with the issuance of individual deeds to land. The chief's economic advantages were thus reduced, and only force of tradition granted a first harvest tribute to chiefs. With land holding, taxes came due and new owners, in lieu of payment, were obliged to work 15 days per year on public projects, such as wharf construction, road building, etc. One such work for taxes engagement sparked the Sokehs Rebellion
. It began as an insubordination event during road construction on Sokehs Island, then escalated into the murder of 9 persons, the subsequent apprehension and trial of 36 Sokehs rebels, the execution of 15 insurgents, and banishment for others to Babelthuap in the German Palau Islands.
With the Treaty of Versailles
Japan as mandatory power
assumed control of all German colonial possessions north of the equator, having occupied Pohnpei along with the rest of the Carolines
, the Marshalls
, the Marianas (except for American-owned Guam
) and Kiautschou Bay during World War I
. In subsequent years and during World War II
the Japanese garrison strength was composed of about 2,000 men of the IJN
under Captain Jun Naito and 5,984 IJA
men under Lieutenant General Masao Watanabe. However, Pohnpei was bypassed by the US Navy during the island-hopping
amphibious campaigns of 1943-1945. The island was shelled on several occasions, including by the battleships USS Massachusetts
and USS Iowa
, as well as air attacks launched from USS Cowpens
. In 1945 all Japanese citizens were forced off the island; many of their Pohnpeian family members remained.
The Federated States of Micronesia achieved independence in 1986 after being administered by the United States under UN
auspices since 1947 as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
The natives of Pohnpei, especially the 'older' generations, often refer to events in their past as having occurred, e.g., in "German times" or "before the Spaniards," which identifies the historical periods as follows:
|-
! Period
! Years
|-
| Native Period
| Before 1825
|-
| Pre-Spanish Period
| 1825-1886
|-
| Spanish Period
| 1886-1899
|-
| German Period
| 1899-1914
|-
| Japanese Period
| 1914-1945
|-
|American Period
| 1945-1986
|-
| Independence Period
| Since 1986
|-
|}
is spoken in different dialects.
The FSM is part of the international Olympic movement and sent teams to the last two summer games in Beijing
and Sydney
with athletes participating in track and field, swimming and weightlifting, but not soccer. The FSM last organized a national football side for the South Pacific Games
football tournament in 2003, where it lost all its matches. Prior to that tournament, however, the FSM National team went undefeated winning the Micronesian Cup 1999. The most notable Pohnpeian athlete is marathoner Elias Rodriguez who ran for the FSM at the Sydney Olympics. Rodriguez finished last in the marathon but was cheered on by tens of thousands of spectators and watched by millions of television viewers as he entered the Olympic stadium for a final lap immediately prior to the closing ceremony which was delayed to allow his finish.
With its spectacular and relatively unspoiled coral reefs, Pohnpei has long had a following among deep-sea fishermen and SCUBA enthusiasts.
, in which it is only about a ten days journey by fast ship away from the fictional sunken city of R'lyeh
, where Cthulhu
resides. Several stories by H. P. Lovecraft
, August Derleth
and others use this island as a setting or contain references to it.
Pohnpei's role in the Mythos was inspired by the ruins of Nan Madol
(see above), which had already been used as the setting for a lost race story by Abraham Merritt, The Moon Pool
, in which the islands are called Nan-Matal. Some people believe Nan Madol to be connected to the lost continent of Lemuria
.
Pohnpei and the ruins of Nan Madol
also play a central role in author James Rollins
' book, Deep Fathom
.
These are also featured in Clive Cussler's
2009 novel Medusa.
Pohnpei, or "Ponape" as it is spelled, is stated as the home island of "Mike" on the popular blog Dunce Upon A Time, authored by BC Woods.
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.
Pohnpei "upon (pohn) a stone altar (pei)" (formerly known as Ponape) is the name of one of the four states in 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), situated among the Senyavin Islands
Senyavin Islands
The Senyavin Islands belong to the Federated States of Micronesia. They consist of a larger volcanic Pohnpei Island and two small atolls Ant and Pakin. They were discovered by Russian navigator Fyodor Litke in 1828 and named after Russian admiral Dmitry Senyavin....
which are part of the larger Caroline Islands
Caroline 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...
group. Palikir
Palikir
Palikir is the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia since 1989, when it replaced Kolonia, the other large settlement on the island.It has a population of 4,645 and is located on the island of Pohnpei.-External links:* *...
, the FSM's capital, is located on Pohnpei Island. Pohnpei International Airport
Pohnpei International Airport
Pohnpei International Airport is an airport located on Pohnpei , the main island of the State of Pohnpei and the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia....
(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 PNI
Pohnpei International Airport
Pohnpei International Airport is an airport located on Pohnpei , the main island of the State of Pohnpei and the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia....
) is located near Kolonia
Kolonia
Kolonia is a coastal town and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia . It was also the former FSM capital before being replaced by Palikir in 1989, located nearby to the southwest in the municipality of Sokehs.-Description:...
, on a small island named Deketik off the northern coast of the main island.
Pohnpei Island is the largest, highest, most populous, and most developed single island
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 the FSM. The islanders of Pohnpei have a reputation as being the most welcoming of outsiders among residents of the island group. The island also contains a wealth of biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
.
Pohnpei is one of the wettest places on earth with annual recorded rainfall exceeding 300 inches (7,620 mm) each year in certain mountainous locations.
General
The state of Pohnpei is located in the Pacific Ocean. It is located near the eastern end of the Caroline Islands and is about midway between Honolulu and ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. Pohnpei's outer islands include Pingelap
Pingelap
Pingelap is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, part of Pohnpei state of the Federated States of Micronesia, consisting of three islands: Pingelap Island, Sukoru and Daekae, linked by a reef system and surrounding a central lagoon, although only Pingelap Island is inhabited. The entire system has a land...
, Mokil
Mokil Atoll
Mokil is an inhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. Geographically, it belongs to the Caroline Islands and is a district of the outlying islands of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia.Mokil lies 153 kilometres east of Pohnpei and approximately 113 kilometres northwest of Pingelap...
, Ant
Ant Atoll
Ant Atoll is a small atoll lying off the west coast of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Along with the nearby Pakin Atoll these islands constitute the Senyavin group of islands....
, Pakin
Pakin Atoll
Pakin Atoll is a small atoll lying off the northwest coast of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Along with the nearby Ant Atoll these islands constitute the Senyavin group of islands....
, Ngatik
Sapwuahfik
Sapwuahfik, formerly Ngatik, is an atoll that belongs to the State of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.- History :For Europeans, the atoll was discovered in 1773 by Felipe Tompson.The atoll is notable for the Ngatik massacre of 1837....
, Nukuoro
Nukuoro
Nukuoro is an atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia.It is a municipality of the state of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Except for Kapingamarangi, it is the southermost atoll of the country. Nukuoro has a population of 372 , though several hundred Nukuorans live on Pohnpei...
, and Kapingamarangi
Kapingamarangi
Kapingamarangi is an atoll and a municipality in the state of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is by far the most southerly atoll or island of the country and of the Caroline Islands, 300 km south of the next southerly atoll, Nukuoro, and 740 km southwest of the main island of...
. The land area of Pohnpei is given as 133.2 square mile. With the exception of coastal plains, talus slopes and alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s most of Pohnpei is ruggedly mountainous, lush and verdant, with the highest peak at 791 metres (2,595.1 ft). The rainforest is dense and rich; extensive mangrove swamps line much of the low shore. The island is roughly circular in outline, its 80 miles (128.7 km) circumference is surrounded by a coral reef.
Pohnpei is home to several dozen bird species including four endemic species, the Pohnpei Lorikeet
Pohnpei Lorikeet
The Pohnpei Lorikeet is a monotypic species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei and the nearby Ahnd Atoll in Micronesia...
, the Pohnpei Fantail
Pohnpei Fantail
The Pohnpei Fantail is a fantail which is endemic to the Pacific island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is a common bird in forest and at the forest edge...
, the Pohnpei Flycatcher
Pohnpei Flycatcher
The Pohnpei Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Micronesia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
and the Long-billed White-eye
Long-billed White-eye
The Long-billed White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family.It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia....
. A fifth endemic, the Pohnpei Starling
Pohnpei Starling
The Pohnpei Starling , also known as Pohnpei Mountain Starling or Ponape Mountain Starling, is an extremely rare or possibly extinct bird from the family of starlings . It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei in the Pacific Ocean. It was called "sie" by the Pohnpei islanders...
, is thought to have recently gone extinct. The only land reptiles are a few species of lizard. Aboriginally, only three mammals existed: rats, bats and dogs. Pigs were introduced, some are now feral, as are the deer brought during German times. The lagoons are rich in fish, mollusks, turtles and other marine fauna.
Population
Pohnpeian historic society was highly structured into five tribes, various clans and sub-clans; each tribe headed by two principal chiefs. The tribes were organized on a feudal basis. In theory, "all land belonged to the chiefs, who received regular tribute and whose rule was absolute." Punishments administered by chiefs included death and banishment. Tribal wars included looting, destruction of houses and canoes and killing of prisoners. "By Spanish times [battles with colonial troops] had become considerably bloodier," a report of one battle alone in 1890 lists 300 Spanish casualties. In the German period officials attempted to identify agitators from both tribal sides and then ship them off to RabaulRabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
in German New Guinea for one year of penal servitude.
Pre-Spanish population estimates are deemed unreliable, however, a drastic population decline occurred after 1854 due to a smallpox epidemic after European contact. The German census of 1911-12 shows 3,190 Pohnpeians, 585 Central Carolinians and 279 Melanesians. Many of the out-islanders were resettled (mainly on Sokehs Island) in consequence of destructive typhoons in their home islands. A special census conducted in late 1947 shows a total population of 5,628, of which 4,451 were Pohnpeians, and 1,177 were natives of other Pacific islands. By 1963 the population had grown to nearly 10,000. The population of the state in 2010 is approximately 34,000. While the majority of the population consider themselves ethnic Pohnpeians, Pohnpei is more ethnically diverse
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
than any other island in the FSM. This is largely due to more than a century of foreign colonial occupation, bringing in Spanish, German, Japanese, Chamorro, Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
, American, Australian, other western Europeans, and it being home to the capital of the national government
Central government
A central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
, which employs hundreds of people from the other three FSM States (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...
, Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...
) having distinct ethnic and cultural origins. The indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
makeup also includes the multiple regional ethnicities of the outer islands within Pohnpei State, resulting in a mix of Australasian Pacific Islanders and hence making Pohnpei Island the FSM's melting pot
Melting pot
The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
.
History
Pohnpei's first European visitor was Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, commanding the SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ship San Geronimo. He sighted the island on 23 December 1595; his description is brief, he made no attempt to land. A second visitor, for whom good documentation exists, was the Australian John Henry Rowe, his barque John Bull did not arrive until 10 September 1825, he did not land either as his vessel was chased off by native canoes. The first lengthy description of the island and its inhabitants is presented by the Russian explorer Fyodor Litke, whose ship Senyavin gave the island group of Pohnpei, Ant and Pakin its name. From 14 January to 19 January 1828, his boats attempted to land but could not due to the hostility shown by the islanders, but natives then came aboard his ship, "some trading occurred, a short vocabulary was compiled, and a map made." F.H. von Kittlitz, a member of the Litke expedition made a further descriptive account, including the offshore ruins of Nan Madol
Nan Madol
Nan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500. It is in the present day Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state, in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The city...
, and the two reports together provided the first real knowledge of Pohnpei. It is not clear who the next visitors were; however, when Capt. J.H. Eagleston of the barque Peru sighted the island on 3 January 1832 it was already on his charts as “Ascension Island.”
From this time onward whaling and trading vessels came in increasing numbers. Very soon a "large colony of beachcombers, escaped convicts, and ship's deserters became established ashore," identified as "chiefly bad characters," according to the log of the Swedish frigate Eugenie. The first missionary to arrive was Father Louis Desiré Maigret, a Roman Catholic priest. He had sailed from Honolulu on the schooner Notre Dame de Paix and began his efforts in December 1837, but he departed on 29 July 1838 for Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
after seven unsuccessful months. In his company were "several Mangarevans and Tahitians," some of whom remained on Pohnpei and left descendants. Ten years later Maigret returned to the Hawaiian kingdom as Bishop of Honolulu. A group of Protestant missionaries from New England established themselves permanently on Pohnpei in 1852. Their letters and journals contain a wealth of information about the island and are preserved at Harvard University.
By 1886 the Spaniards claimed the Caroline Islands and began to exert political authority. In consequence of the 1898 Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
purchased the Caroline island group from Spain in 1899 together with the Marianas (except Guam) and 4 years later the Marshall Islands for 17 million goldmark
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
.
During the German administration a fundamental change in land ownership was implemented on Pohnpei and throughout the Carolines. Beginning in 1907 the feudal system, where all land is held in fief, was gradually replaced with the issuance of individual deeds to land. The chief's economic advantages were thus reduced, and only force of tradition granted a first harvest tribute to chiefs. With land holding, taxes came due and new owners, in lieu of payment, were obliged to work 15 days per year on public projects, such as wharf construction, road building, etc. One such work for taxes engagement sparked the Sokehs Rebellion
Sokehs Rebellion
Sokehs Rebellion was an uprising of the Sokehs tribe against local German rule that started on Sokehs Island off the main island of Pohnpei in the Eastern Caroline Islands in 1910/1911...
. It began as an insubordination event during road construction on Sokehs Island, then escalated into the murder of 9 persons, the subsequent apprehension and trial of 36 Sokehs rebels, the execution of 15 insurgents, and banishment for others to Babelthuap in the German Palau Islands.
With the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
Japan as mandatory power
Mandate
Mandate can refer to:*Mandate , an obligation handed down by an inter-governmental body*Mandate , an official or authoritative command; an order or injunction*Mandate , the power granted by an electorate...
assumed control of all German colonial possessions north of the equator, having occupied Pohnpei along with the rest of the Carolines
Caroline 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 Marshalls
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...
, the Marianas (except for American-owned 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 Kiautschou Bay during 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...
. In subsequent years and 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...
the Japanese garrison strength was composed of about 2,000 men of the IJN
IJN
The abbreviation IJN may refer to:* International Justice Network or IJNetwork, a Human Rights Organization* Imperial Japanese Navy, the navy of Japan from 1868 until it was dissolved in 1947* Institut Jean Nicod, a French interdisciplinary research center...
under Captain Jun Naito and 5,984 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 under Lieutenant General Masao Watanabe. However, Pohnpei was bypassed by the US Navy during the island-hopping
Island hopping
Island hopping is a term that refers to the means of crossing an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly across the ocean to the destination.- Forms :...
amphibious campaigns of 1943-1945. The island was shelled on several occasions, including by the battleships USS Massachusetts
USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
USS Massachusetts , known as "Big Mamie" to her crewmembers during World War II, was a battleship of the second South Dakota-class. She was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the sixth state, and one of two ships of her class to be donated for use as a museum ship...
and USS Iowa
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS Iowa was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state...
, as well as air attacks launched from USS Cowpens
USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
USS Cowpens , nicknamed The Mighty Moo, was an 11,000-ton that served the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947....
. In 1945 all Japanese citizens were forced off the island; many of their Pohnpeian family members remained.
The Federated States of Micronesia achieved independence in 1986 after being administered by the United States under UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
auspices since 1947 as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
The natives of Pohnpei, especially the 'older' generations, often refer to events in their past as having occurred, e.g., in "German times" or "before the Spaniards," which identifies the historical periods as follows:
-
-
-
- {| class="wikitable"
-
-
|-
! Period
! Years
|-
| Native Period
| Before 1825
|-
| Pre-Spanish Period
| 1825-1886
|-
| Spanish Period
| 1886-1899
|-
| German Period
| 1899-1914
|-
| Japanese Period
| 1914-1945
|-
|American Period
| 1945-1986
|-
| Independence Period
| Since 1986
|-
|}
Native Language
Pohnpeians have a native language called 'Pohnpeian' (former spelling 'Ponapean'). The Pohnpeian languagePohnpeian language
Pohnpeian or Ponapean is a Micronesian language spoken mostly on the island of Pohnpei and the Caroline Islands. Pohnpeian has about 22,000 speakers. It is the major language of Pohnpei State . Ngatikese, Pingelapese and Mokilese are counted as dialects of Pohnpeian or as closely related languages...
is spoken in different dialects.
Administrative divisions
Municipalities of Pohnpei:- KapingamarangiKapingamarangiKapingamarangi is an atoll and a municipality in the state of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is by far the most southerly atoll or island of the country and of the Caroline Islands, 300 km south of the next southerly atoll, Nukuoro, and 740 km southwest of the main island of...
(far southwest atoll) - KittiKittiKitti is one of the twelve administrative divisions of the Micronesian island of Pohnpei. it is located in the southwest of the island, to the south of Mount Nahna Laud.-References:...
(main island, southwest — includes Ant/Ahnd Atoll) - KoloniaKoloniaKolonia is a coastal town and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia . It was also the former FSM capital before being replaced by Palikir in 1989, located nearby to the southwest in the municipality of Sokehs.-Description:...
(main island, north) - MadolenihmwMadolenihmwMadolenihmw is one of the administrative divisions of the Micronesian island of Pohnpei. It is located in the central east of the island, to the east of Mount Nahna Laud and south of Mount Kapwuriso. The coast of Madolenihmw includes a large bay which contains the island of Temwen, famous for its...
(main island, east) - Mokil AtollMokil AtollMokil is an inhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. Geographically, it belongs to the Caroline Islands and is a district of the outlying islands of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia.Mokil lies 153 kilometres east of Pohnpei and approximately 113 kilometres northwest of Pingelap...
(near east atoll) - NettNettNett is one of the administrative divisions of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia.-Description:Nett is one of the six municipalities located in the main island of Pohnpei. It corresponds to the north-central sector of the island....
(main island, north/center, formerly including state capital KoloniaKoloniaKolonia is a coastal town and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia . It was also the former FSM capital before being replaced by Palikir in 1989, located nearby to the southwest in the municipality of Sokehs.-Description:...
on the north coast) - NgatikSapwuahfikSapwuahfik, formerly Ngatik, is an atoll that belongs to the State of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.- History :For Europeans, the atoll was discovered in 1773 by Felipe Tompson.The atoll is notable for the Ngatik massacre of 1837....
(near southwest atoll) - NukuoroNukuoroNukuoro is an atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia.It is a municipality of the state of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Except for Kapingamarangi, it is the southermost atoll of the country. Nukuoro has a population of 372 , though several hundred Nukuorans live on Pohnpei...
(southwest atoll) - OrolukOrolukOroluk is one of the administrative divisions of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia.-Description:Oroluk municipality includes Oroluk Atoll and Minto Reef....
(west atoll, includes Minto Reef) - PingelapPingelapPingelap is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, part of Pohnpei state of the Federated States of Micronesia, consisting of three islands: Pingelap Island, Sukoru and Daekae, linked by a reef system and surrounding a central lagoon, although only Pingelap Island is inhabited. The entire system has a land...
(far east atoll) - SokehsSokehsSokehs is a village and municipality on the main island in the state of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.It is the location of Palikir, the federal capital.The namesake Sokehs Island is located north of the main island.-Reference:...
(main island, northwest — includes Pakin Atoll) - UU, PohnpeiU is one of the administrative divisions of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia.-Description:U is one of the six municipalities located in the main island of Pohnpei. It corresponds to the northeastern sector of the island. U had 2,289 inhabitants according to the 2008 census.Alohkapw is...
(main island, northeast)
Nearby islands
- The atoll of PingelapPingelapPingelap is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, part of Pohnpei state of the Federated States of Micronesia, consisting of three islands: Pingelap Island, Sukoru and Daekae, linked by a reef system and surrounding a central lagoon, although only Pingelap Island is inhabited. The entire system has a land...
, located 270 kilometres (167.8 mi) to the east of Pohnpei, but part of Pohnpei State, is notable for the prevalencePrevalenceIn epidemiology, the prevalence of a health-related state in a statistical population is defined as the total number of cases of the risk factor in the population at a given time, or the total number of cases in the population, divided by the number of individuals in the population...
of the extreme form of color blindnessColor blindnessColor blindness or color vision deficiency is the inability or decreased ability to see color, or perceive color differences, under lighting conditions when color vision is not normally impaired...
known as maskun. Maskun is relatively rare but often shows up in communities with small gene poolGene poolIn population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique alleles in a species or population.- Description :A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection...
s. Pingelap was featured in the book The Island of the ColorblindThe Island of the ColorblindThe Island of the Colorblind is a book by neurologist Oliver Sacks about achromatopsia on the Micronesian atoll of Pingelap. The second half of the book is devoted to the mystery of Lytico-Bodig disease in Guam.-External links:*...
by neurologist Oliver SacksOliver SacksOliver Wolf Sacks, CBE , is a British neurologist and psychologist residing in New York City. He is a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University, where he also holds the position of Columbia Artist...
. His account includes detailed descriptions of Pohnpei, and of a Pingelap immigrant community on the island. - The ancient artificial islands of Nan MadolNan MadolNan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500. It is in the present day Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state, in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The city...
are immediately adjacent to Pohnpei. - Oroluk AtollOroluk AtollOroluk Atoll is an atoll belonging to Pohnpei State in the Micronesia.-Description:Oroluk Atoll stretches from the northwest to the southeast with a length of about and an average width of . The lagoon's surface is roughly ....
Sport
Pohnpei is incorrectly said to have a national soccer team described as "the worst team in the world." Pohnpei is, however, not a nation - it is but one of four states in the FSM. A Pohnpei football team is currently active and moves are underway to re-create a national Federated States of Micronesia team.The FSM is part of the international Olympic movement and sent teams to the last two summer games in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with athletes participating in track and field, swimming and weightlifting, but not soccer. The FSM last organized a national football side for the South Pacific Games
South Pacific Games
The Pacific Games is a multi-sport event, much like the Olympics , with participation exclusively from countries around the South Pacific. It is held every four years and began in 1963, hosted by Suva, Fiji.- Concept :The idea of holding the South Pacific Games originated with Dr A.H...
football tournament in 2003, where it lost all its matches. Prior to that tournament, however, the FSM National team went undefeated winning the Micronesian Cup 1999. The most notable Pohnpeian athlete is marathoner Elias Rodriguez who ran for the FSM at the Sydney Olympics. Rodriguez finished last in the marathon but was cheered on by tens of thousands of spectators and watched by millions of television viewers as he entered the Olympic stadium for a final lap immediately prior to the closing ceremony which was delayed to allow his finish.
With its spectacular and relatively unspoiled coral reefs, Pohnpei has long had a following among deep-sea fishermen and SCUBA enthusiasts.
Pohnpei in fiction
Pohnpei plays a central role in the fictional Cthulhu MythosCthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
, in which it is only about a ten days journey by fast ship away from the fictional sunken city of R'lyeh
R'lyeh
R'lyeh is a fictional lost city that first appeared in the H. P. Lovecraft short story "The Call of Cthulhu", first published in Weird Tales in 1928. According to Lovecraft's short story, R'lyeh is a sunken city in the South Pacific and the prison of the malevolent entity called Cthulhu.R'lyeh is...
, where Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
resides. Several stories by H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, August Derleth
August Derleth
August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
and others use this island as a setting or contain references to it.
Pohnpei's role in the Mythos was inspired by the ruins of Nan Madol
Nan Madol
Nan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500. It is in the present day Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state, in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The city...
(see above), which had already been used as the setting for a lost race story by Abraham Merritt, The Moon Pool
The Moon Pool
The Moon Pool is a fantasy novel by Abraham Merritt . It originally appeared as two short stories in All-Story Weekly: "The Moon Pool" and its sequel, "Conquest of the Moon Pool" . These were then reworked into a novel released in 1919. The protagonist, Dr...
, in which the islands are called Nan-Matal. Some people believe Nan Madol to be connected to the lost continent of Lemuria
Lemuria (continent)
Lemuria is the name of a hypothetical "lost land" variously located in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The concept's 19th century origins lie in attempts to account for discontinuities in biogeography; however, the concept of Lemuria has been rendered obsolete by modern theories of plate tectonics...
.
Pohnpei and the ruins of Nan Madol
Nan Madol
Nan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500. It is in the present day Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state, in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The city...
also play a central role in author James Rollins
James Rollins
* For the American baseball pitcher, see Jim Czajkowski* For the American baseball shortstop, see Jimmy Rollins* For the 19th century American politician from Missouri, see James S. Rollins...
' book, Deep Fathom
Deep Fathom
Deep Fathom is a novel by James Rollins. Ex-Navy SEAL Jack Kirkland surfaces from an aborted underwater salvage mission to find the earth burning. Solar flares have triggered a series of gargantuan natural disasters. Earthquakes and hellfire rock the globe. Air Force One has vanished from the skies...
.
These are also featured in Clive Cussler's
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
2009 novel Medusa.
Pohnpei, or "Ponape" as it is spelled, is stated as the home island of "Mike" on the popular blog Dunce Upon A Time, authored by BC Woods.
Further reading
- The Island of the Colour-blind, Oliver Sacks, Publisher: Pan Macmillan (June 6, 1997), paperback, ISBN 0-330-35234-2.
- Upon a Stone Altar:A History of the Island of Pohnpei to 1890, David Hanlon, Publisher: University of Hawaii Press (May, 1988), paperpack, ISBN 978-0-8248-1124-2
- Pohnpei, an Island Argosy, Gene Ashby, Publisher: Rainy Day Pr West; Revised edition (June 1987), paperback, ISBN 978-0931742149
- Nest in the Wind: Adventures in anthropology on a tropical island, Martha C Ward, Publisher: Waveland Press Inc. (1989), paperback, ISBN 0-88133-405-7
- Thomas Morlang: Rebellion in der Südsee. Der Aufstand auf Ponape gegen die deutschen Kolonialherren 1919/1911, Christoph Links Verlag, Berlin, Germany ISBN 978-3-861513-604-8
External links
- Palikir Marine Adventures
- The Surf Travel Company
- The undisclosed Surfer magazine cover of Dan Malloy riding Palikir Pass, Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia, February 2000
- myMicronesia/Pohnpei section
- Pohnpei-Between Time & Tide
- A Tour of Pohnpei
- FSM Visitors Board/Pohnpei Section
- Jane's Pohnpei Page
- Postcards from Pohnpei: marine life
- Micronesia Conservation Trust
- Pohnpei travel guide at TravellerspointTravellerspointTravellerspoint is a social networking site for people who want to learn from or share experiences with other travellers. Members of the site participate through forums, blogs, photo galleries and a wiki travel guide.- Major Features :...