Sapwuahfik
Encyclopedia
Sapwuahfik, formerly Ngatik, is an atoll
that belongs to the State of Pohnpei
in the Federated States of Micronesia
.
The atoll is notable for the Ngatik massacre
of 1837.
i the Eastern Caroline Islands
and consists of 10 individual islands on the reef. The largest and only inhabited island is Ngatik, at the western end.
The atoll is 22.5 km long and up to 9.6 km wide. The lagoon
measures 78.56 km² in area, and the total area is 114 km². The aggregate land area of the 10 islands is 1.75 km², of which the main island Ngatik is 0.91 km², or more than half. While Ngatik is the only inhabited island, the six larger of the remaining islands are used by the population for harvesting coconuts and growing taro
, and animal husbandry (pigs and chicken). There is a total of 12 buildings for temporary shelter on those islands.
The islands clockwise, starting at Ngatik in the west:
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
that belongs to the State of 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...
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...
.
History
For Europeans, the atoll was discovered in 1773 by Felipe Tompson.The atoll is notable for the Ngatik massacre
Ngatik massacre
The Ngatik massacre took place over two days of fighting on the atoll of Sapwuahfik in the Micronesian island chain in July, 1837. Captain C.H. Hart and his crew of beachcombers of the Lampton from Sydney, Australia massacred as many as 50 Sapwuafihk men. Hart had hoped to raid what he believed...
of 1837.
Geography
It is located 150 km southwest of the main island of PohnpeiPohnpei
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...
i the Eastern 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...
and consists of 10 individual islands on the reef. The largest and only inhabited island is Ngatik, at the western end.
The atoll is 22.5 km long and up to 9.6 km wide. The lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
measures 78.56 km² in area, and the total area is 114 km². The aggregate land area of the 10 islands is 1.75 km², of which the main island Ngatik is 0.91 km², or more than half. While Ngatik is the only inhabited island, the six larger of the remaining islands are used by the population for harvesting coconuts and growing 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...
, and animal husbandry (pigs and chicken). There is a total of 12 buildings for temporary shelter on those islands.
The islands clockwise, starting at Ngatik in the west:
| Island | Areakm² | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ngatik | 0.906 | western end |
| Peina | 0.206 | north |
| Bigen Karakar | 0.025 | northeast |
| Jirup | 0.023 | east |
| Bigen Kelang | 0.047 | east |
| Pikepe (Piken Mategan) | 0.009 | east |
| Dekehnman | 0.009 | eastern end |
| Wat | 0,281 | eastern end |
| Pikenmetkow | 0.006 | southeast |
| Uataluk (Wateiluk) | 0.039 | south |
| Sapwuahfik (Atoll) | 1.551 | fringing reef |