Pohnpei State

Pohnpei State is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The other states are, from the east, Kosrae State, Chuuk State, and Yap State. The state's principal island is Pohnpei.

History

Pohnpei, when it was a district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, initially contained Kosrae, which was a municipality of the district.

Geography

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 Manila. The land area of Pohnpei state is given as 133.2 square miles (345 km²).

Pohnpei's outer islands are low islands, and include Pingelap, Mokil, Ant, Pakin, Ngatik, Nukuoro, and Kapingamarangi.

With the exception of coastal plains, talus slopes and alluvial fans, most of Pohnpei Island, a high island, is ruggedly mountainous, lush and verdant, with the highest peak at 791 metres (2,595 ft). Its rainforest is dense and rich; extensive mangrove swamps line much of the low shore. The island is roughly circular in outline, its 80-mile (130 km) circumference is surrounded by a coral reef.

Pohnpei

Pohnpei "upon (pohn) a stone altar (pei)" (formerly known as Ponape) is the name of an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei State, one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Major population centers on Pohnpei include Palikir, the FSM's capital, and Kolonia, the capital of Pohnpei State. Pohnpei Island is the largest (334 km2), highest (almost 800m), most populous (34,000 people), 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.

Pohnpei also contains a wealth of biodiversity. It is also one of the wettest places on earth with annual recorded rainfall exceeding 7,600 millimetres (300 in) each year in certain mountainous locations. It is home to the ka tree (Terminalia carolinensis) found only on this island and Kosrae.

Geography

The highest point of the island is Mount Nanlaud at 772 or 782 metres. 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. Originally, 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.