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57-408: Kolonia Town is located in the north central section of Pohnpei Island . It was formerly part of Nett municipality but has been a separate municipality since May 1965. The population of the town was 6,074 (2010 Census). It is the largest population center on Pohnpei and the commercial hub of the island. The land area of Kolonia amounts to 1.5 km, with a large number of buildings lying just outside

114-873: A volcanic plug on the opposite side of Pohnpei. The earliest settlement on Pohnpei was probably around AD 1 although radiocarbon dating shows human activity starting around AD 80–200. In 1985, the ruins of Nan Madol were declared a National Historical Landmark. Until its closure in 2012, objects from the site were displayed at Lidorkini Museum . In 1978 and 1979, Arthur Saxe conducted underwater archaeological surveys to investigate reports of submerged basalt columns just offshore of Nan Madol and to search for two legendary submerged prehistoric cities known as Kahnihmw Namkhet and Kahnihmweiso . These surveys reported finding several tall stone pillars covered in coral growth and as tall as 6 metres (20 ft) tall, 0.9–1.2 metres (3.0–3.9 ft) wide, at depths of over 25 metres (82 ft). Neither Kahnihmw Namkhet nor Kahnihmweiso

171-738: 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 Désiré 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 Valparaíso 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

228-448: A highest point of 782 m (2,566 ft), the most populous with 36,832 people, and the most developed single island in the FSM. Pohnpei is home to the megaliths and ruined city of Nan Madol , built of artificial islands off the island's eastern shore beginning in the 8th or 9th century. An important archaeological site, it was declared a national historic site in 1985. Pohnpei contains

285-414: A lagoon, consists of a series of small artificial islands linked by a network of canals. The site core with its stone walls encloses an area approximately 1.5 by 0.5 kilometres (0.93 mi × 0.31 mi) and it contains 92 artificial islets—stone and coral fill platforms—bordered by tidal canals. The name Nan Madol means "within the intervals" and is a reference to the canals that crisscross

342-581: A particular islet: first Peiniot, and later the closer Usennamw. Around 1628, when Isokelekel overthrew the Saudeleurs and began the Nahnmwarki Era, the Nahnmwarkis lived at Nan Madol, but had to gather their own water and grow their own food. This is thought to have caused them eventually to abandon Nan Madol and move back to their own districts, although there are other explanations for

399-471: A steel rod into two of them and found only coral. One of them was raised and carefully dissected. This column was found to consist entirely of coral and clearly is not a "purposely positioned stone column". In 2013, Ishimura and others used multi-beam sonar, ROVs, and scuba diving to examine submerged block-shaped features and columnar objects and the blue hole. They found neither evidence of anthropogenic pillars composed of basalt columns nor any evidence that

456-569: A stone altar ( pei )") is 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 is the largest island in the FSM, with an area of 334 km (129 sq mi), and

513-735: 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. 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

570-551: A wealth of biodiversity . It is one of the wettest places on Earth with annual recorded rainfall exceeding 7,600 mm (300 in) each year in certain mountainous locations. It is home to the ka tree ( Terminalia carolinensis ) found only in Pohnpei and Kosrae . The name Pohnpei comes from the Pohnpeian language , literally meaning "upon a stone altar". It derives from a Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic phrase *fawo ni pei of

627-552: Is a central location in South Sea Adventure (1952), the second of Willard Price 's Young Adult Adventure Series books featuring Hal and Roger Hunt. 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. Pohnpei State Department of Education operates public schools. Public high schools: Private schools: Pohnpei Catholic School Post secondary education: Lidorkini Museum

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684-476: Is in the southeast of the island. Pohnpei State Department of Education operates public schools: Private schools: Lidorkini Museum was located in Kolonia until its closure in 2012. 6°57′50″N 158°12′29″E  /  6.96389°N 158.20806°E  / 6.96389; 158.20806 Pohnpei Island Pohnpei (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension , from Pohnpeian : "upon ( pohn )

741-731: Is located on the small island Deketik and is connected to Kolonia via the Deketik causeway. The United States, Australia , China and Japan maintain embassies in Kolonia, although the Federation's capital is now at Palikir. A number of foreign volunteer groups operate in Kolonia, including the Peace Corps , the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers ( JOCV or JICA ), WorldTeach , the Red Cross ,

798-534: 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 , US, 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

855-495: The Compact of Free Association led to independence in 1986. Today, construction in various parts of town continues and all of Kolonia's primary and secondary streets are paved and street signs erected. Kolonia Town boasts Pohnpei State government offices, public and private schools, grocery stores, restaurants, bars, hotels and houses of worship of various religious denominations. Pohnpei International Airport ( IATA code: PNI)

912-767: The German Empire purchased the Caroline island group from Spain in 1899 together with the Marianas (except Guam) and four 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, in which all land is held in fief, was gradually replaced with

969-528: 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 . A drastic population decline occurred after 1854, due to a smallpox epidemic. During the American Civil War , to counteract

1026-907: The Jesuit Volunteer Corps , the Spanish Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz , the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP), and Pacific Missionary Aviation (PMA). The Catholic Belltower built by the Germans/Spanish in 1909, the German Cemetery founded in 1910, the Spanish Wall dating from 1887 and the Japanese Shrine built in 1921 are worth a visit in Kolonia itself. The famous archaeological site Nan Madol

1083-510: The Manila -based Spanish East Indies and began to exert political authority. They founded the city Santiago de la Ascensión in what today is Kolonia (from Spanish colonia or colony). The Spanish built several government buildings, a fort, a church and a school. Spanish Capuchin friars were also sent from Manila to Pohnpei to preach the Catholic faith. After the 1898 Spanish–American War ,

1140-490: 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 the only mammals were bats. Pigs, rats and dogs were introduced; pigs have become feral. The lagoons are rich in fish, molluscs, turtles and other marine fauna. Pohnpei belongs to

1197-799: The Vanuatu archipelago . Pre-colonial history is divided into three eras: Mwehin Kawa or Mwehin Aramas (Period of Building, or Period of Peopling, before c.  1100 ); Mwehin Sau Deleur (Period of the Lord of Deleur , c.  1100 to c.  1628 ); and Mwehin Nahnmwarki (Period of the Nahnmwarki, c.  1628 to c.  1885 ). Pohnpeian legend recounts that

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1254-428: The tropical rainforest climate zone ( Köppen : Af ). It is one of the wettest places on Earth with an average annual recorded rainfall of 4,775 mm (188.0 in) in towns along the coast and about 7,600 mm (300 in) each year in certain mountainous locations. The population of the state in 2010 was approximately 36,196. While the majority of the population consider themselves ethnic Pohnpeians, Pohnpei

1311-709: 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 United States Navy during the island-hopping amphibious campaigns of 1943–1945. The island was shelled on several occasions, including by the battleships USS Massachusetts , USS Alabama , and USS  Iowa , as well as air attacks launched from USS Cowpens . After

1368-535: The Olympic stadium for a final lap immediately prior to the closing ceremony which was delayed to allow his finish. Pohnpei's state football team were coached by the world's youngest national football coach, the Englishman Paul Watson , who led the team on a tour of nearby Guam, winning one match against a local team. The annual Micronesian Futsal Cup has been established on the island, also

1425-686: The Saudeleur rule with the more decentralized nahnmwarki system in existence today. 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. Pre-Spanish population estimates are deemed unreliable. Pohnpei's first European visitor

1482-525: The Saudeleur rulers, the first to bring government to Pohnpei, were of foreign origin. The Saudeleur centralized form of absolute rule is characterized in Pohnpeian legend as becoming increasingly oppressive over several generations. Arbitrary and onerous demands, as well as a reputation for offending Pohnpeian deities, sowed resentment among Pohnpeians . The Saudeleur Dynasty ended with the invasion of Isokelekel , another semi-mythical foreigner, who replaced

1539-509: The Spanish ship San Jeronimo . on 23 December 1595; his description is brief, he made no attempt to land. There is good documentation about Australian sailor John Henry Rowe, who arrived in his barque John Bull on 10 September 1825, though he did not land 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

1596-528: The Sydney games and continuing every four years to the present with athletes participating in track and field, swimming and weightlifting. The most notable Pohnpeian athlete is marathon runner 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

1653-650: The United States blockade of their ports, Confederate States Navy ships hunted Yankee merchant shipping. On 1 April 1865, the CSS Shenandoah surprised four United States whalers at Ascension Island (Pohnpei) and destroyed them all. The local king, Nananierikie, was delighted to receive much of the spoils from this action. By 1886 the Spaniards claimed the Caroline Islands which were part of

1710-457: The city rather than in their home districts, where their activities were difficult to monitor. Madol Powe, the mortuary sector, contains 58 islets in the northeastern area of Nan Madol. Most islets were once occupied by the dwellings of priests. Some islets served a special purpose: food preparation, canoe construction on Dapahu, and coconut oil preparation on Peinering. High walls surrounding tombs are located on Peinkitel, Karian, and Lemenkou, but

1767-708: The desertion of the complex, such as a sharp population decline. Today Nan Madol forms an archaeological district covering more than 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) and includes the stone architecture built up on a coral reef flat along the shore of Temwen Island , several other artificial islets, and the adjacent Pohnpei main island coastline. The site core with its stone walls encloses an area approximately 1.5 by 0.5 kilometres (0.93 mi × 0.31 mi) containing 92 artificial islets—stone and coral fill platforms—bordered by tidal canals. Carbon dating indicates that megalithic construction at Nan Madol began around AD 1180 when large basalt stones were taken from

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1824-543: The huge stones with the aid of a flying dragon . When Olisihpa died of old age, Olosohpa became the first Saudeleur. Olosohpa married a local woman and sired twelve generations, producing sixteen other Saudeleur rulers of the Dipwilap ("Great") clan. The founders of the dynasty ruled kindly, though their successors placed ever increasing demands on their subjects. Their reign ended with the invasion by Isokelekel , who also resided at Nan Madol, though his successors abandoned

1881-403: The infrastructure in addition to establishing settlements elsewhere on Pohnpei. Visitors to Kolonia in the 1930s reported that they were able to walk the length of Namiki Street (now Kaselelhie Street) under shopkeepers' canopies without getting wet in the rain. During World War II , much of Kolonia was destroyed as some 118 tons of American bombs, 600 incendiaries and naval artillery targeted

1938-470: The island group of Pohnpei, Ant and Pakin its name. From 14 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

1995-480: The island. The municipalities on the island of Pohnpei are: Pohnpei International Airport ( IATA code PNI ) is located near Kolonia , on a small island named Deketik off the northern coast of the main island. The FSM is part of the international Olympic movement, originally the work of James Tobin, who now sits on the IOC Executive Board, sending teams to the summer games beginning in 2000 with

2052-575: 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

2109-425: The main island of Pohnpei and Temwen Island , it was a scene of human activity as early as the first or second century AD. By the 8th or 9th century, islet construction had started, with construction of the distinctive megalithic architecture beginning 1180–1200 AD. Polish ethnographer and oceanographer John Stanislaw Kubary made the first detailed description of Nan Madol in 1874. Little can be verified about

2166-496: The megalithic construction. Pohnpeian tradition claims that the builders of the Leluh archaeological site on Kosrae (likewise composed of huge stone buildings) migrated to Pohnpei, where they used their skills and experience to build the even more impressive Nan Madol complex. Radiocarbon dating indicates that Nan Madol predates Leluh; thus, it is more likely that Nan Madol influenced Leluh. According to Pohnpeian legend, Nan Madol

2223-418: The most prominent is the royal mortuary islet of Nandauwas, where walls 5.5–7.5 metres (18–25 ft) high surround a central tomb enclosure within the main courtyard. This was built for the first Saudeleur. On Nan Madol, there is no fresh water or food; water must be collected and food grown inland. During Saudeleur rule, Pohnpeians brought essential food and water by boat. The Saudeleur received food at

2280-491: 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 . The Pohnpeian language (formerly called "Ponapean") and its dialects are the indigenous languages of Pohnpei. The Federated States of Micronesia government also uses Pohnpeian as a regional language . English and Spanish are spoken in

2337-539: The murder of nine people, 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. The German census of 1911–12 shows 3,190 Pohnpeians, 585 Central Carolinians and 279 Melanesians. Many of the outer islands were resettled (mainly on Sokehs Island) as a consequence of destructive typhoons in their home islands. A special census conducted in late 1947 shows

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2394-523: The ruins. The original name was Soun Nan-leng , "Reef of Heaven", according to Gene Ashby in his book Pohnpei, An Island Argosy . It is often called the "eighth wonder of the world", or the "Venice of the Pacific" . Nan Madol was the ceremonial and political seat of the Saudeleur Dynasty , which united Pohnpei's estimated population of 25,000 people until about 1628. Set apart between

2451-507: The same meaning. Cognates in other Micronesian languages include Mokilese Pohnpei and Chuukese Fóónupi . 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: The earliest settlers were probably Lapita culture people from the Southeast Solomon Islands or

2508-545: The setting for a lost race story by A. Merritt , The Moon Pool (1918), in which the islands are called Nan-Tauach and the ruins are called the Nan-Matal. Nan Madol was featured in episode two of the pseudoarchaeological work Ancient Apocalypse by Graham Hancock which aired on Netflix, in which false claims were made about the age of the site. Experts in Pacific geography and archaeology have characterised Hancock's claims about Nan Madol as "incredibly insulting to

2565-438: The site. The elite centre was a special place of residence for the nobility and of mortuary activities presided over by priests. Its population almost certainly did not exceed 1,000, and may have been less than half that. Although many of the residents were chiefs, the majority were commoners. Nan Madol served, in part, as a way for the ruling Saudeleur chiefs to organize and control potential rivals by requiring them to live in

2622-584: The town and island installations. Pohnpei was bypassed during the amphibious island hopping campaigns, but rusting wrecks of Japanese military equipment, downed airplanes and bunkers are still visible throughout the island. The town was rebuilt and expanded during the US Navy and later the US Department of the Interior administrations. The Federated States of Micronesia Constitutional Referendum and

2679-497: The town limits. The official languages are Pohnpeian and English. Mercedarian Missionaries speak Spanish. Kolonia's history is deeply marked by Pohnpei's multiple foreign occupiers, and evidence of their former presence is found throughout the town and island. Traditionally, Pohnpei's power center was in Madolenihmw , on the southeastern part of the island. The area now known as Kolonia was called Mesenieng , which means "face of

2736-497: The town stayed relatively small as few German or other foreign settlers arrived to live on the island. Kolonia and northern Pohnpei were devastated by a typhoon in 1905. Japan occupied Pohnpei in the first weeks of World War I as well as other German islands north of the equator. Unlike previous occupiers, the Japanese brought thousands of settlers to Micronesia, who outnumbered the indigenous population on some islands. These settlers, most of whom were Okinawans , vastly expanded

2793-488: 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." Riesenberg writes that it is uncertain who first called it Ascension Island, but the name became established until the Spanish period. From this time onward, whaling and trading vessels came in increasing numbers. Very soon

2850-510: The underwater columns are man-made structures. They also concluded that the blue hole is a sinkhole that developed in reef limestones during sea level lowstands of glacial maximums. Nan Madol has been interpreted by some as the remains of one of the " lost continents " of Lemuria or Mu . Nan Madol was one of the sites James Churchward identified as being part of the lost continent of Mu, starting in his 1926 book The Lost Continent of Mu Motherland of Man . The ruins of Nan Madol were used as

2907-607: The war, Japanese nationals were repatriated to Japan by the US Navy. 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 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,

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2964-739: The wind" or "headwind." Spain first built the town in 1887 as an administrative and military capital and named it Santiago de la Ascensión . A fort, from which ruins known as the Spanish Wall remain, was built to protect the colonial government and garrison. In 1899, as a consequence of the Spanish–American War, Germany purchased Pohnpei from Spain along with the rest of the Caroline Islands and established district offices in Kolonia. Roads and wharves were built and buildings erected (a church bell tower and cemetery remain), but

3021-528: The work of Watson. Pohnpei (as Ponape) plays a role in several stories of the Cthulhu Mythos by H. P. Lovecraft and others. Its role in " Out of the Aeons ", by Lovecraft and Hazel Heald , 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. Pohnpei

3078-461: Was Spanish navigator Álvaro de Saavedra on 14 September 1529 shortly before his death, when trying to find the way back to New Spain . He charted it as San Bartolomé and called this one and the surrounding islands as Los Pintados (literally, "the painted ones" in Spanish) because the natives were frequently tattooed. It was later visited by the navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , commanding

3135-407: Was constructed by twin sorcerers Olisihpa and Olosohpa from the mythical Western Katau, or Kanamwayso. The brothers arrived in a large canoe seeking a place to build an altar so that they could worship Nahnisohn Sahpw, the god of agriculture. After several false starts, the two brothers successfully built an altar off Temwen Island, where they performed their rituals. In legend, these brothers levitated

3192-668: Was found. However, it was hypothesized that the city of Kahnihmweiso might have been built over a cavern, which collapsed and formed a blue hole that swallowed the city. In 1988 and 1989, a team of archaeologists from the University of Oregon conducted underwater archaeological surveys around Nan Madol. They found a number of prone basalt columns on the sea floor seaward of Nan Madol. They concluded that these columns consisted of lost, discarded or fallen building materials. They also examined underwater pillars reported by Saxe. They located two randomly spaced clusters of columns. They drove

3249-455: Was located in Kolonia, until its closure in 2012. Nan Madol Nan Madol is an archaeological site adjacent to the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei , now part of the Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean . Nan Madol was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about 1628. The city, constructed in

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