Namoluk (meaning "lagoon in the middle") is an

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the state of Chuuk,

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...

. It is the smallest atoll in Micronesia, with a total surface of only 13 km² and a land mass of less than 1 km². Namoluk is part of the Eastern Islands or

Upper Mortlock Islands The Nomoi Islands, also known as the Mortlock Islands, are a group of three atolls in the state of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia. They are located about southeast of Chuuk Lagoon. Islands The Mortlock Islands are Ettal, Namoluk, Ta, N ...

group, located about 185 km to the SE of Chuuk and 50 km NW of

Etal Atoll Etal or Ettal is an island and municipality in the state of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia. Etal is part of the Nomoi Islands group, located about 250 km to the southeast of Chuuk. Islands Etal is a small atoll An atoll () is a ...

History

Prior to European colonialism in Micronesia, Namoluk was allied with

Ettal Ettal is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria. Geography Ettal is situated in the ''Oberland'' area in the ''Graswangtal'' between the ''Loisachtal'' and '' Ammertal'', approx. 10 km north of Garmisch-Pa ...

Oneop Oneop is an island in the outer islands of MORTLOCK. and municipality in the state of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four state ...

, and

Moch Moch may refer to: Places * Moch, Chuuk, an island and municipality in the Federated States of Micronesia People * Moch, Palatine of Hungary (12–13th century), Hungarian lord * Cheryl Moch, American writer * Dontay Moch (born 1988), Americ ...

in wars against Lukunoch,

Satawan Satawan Atoll is an atoll located about southeast of Chuuk Lagoon proper. Geographically it is part of the Nomoi or Mortlock Islands in the Carolines and administratively it is part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. About ...

, Kuttu, and Ta. Occasionally Namoluk would also ally with Nama to battle against

Losap Losap is an atoll located in the Eastern Islands or Upper Mortlock Islands group in the outer islands region of the state of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is located to the SE of Chuuk. Losap is also the name of one of the four ...

. Such alliances shape modern-day sense of identity and community among the different island communities. The first documented contact of the Namoluk atoll by westerners was in 1827 when Captain Richard Macy sailed by the atoll on the whaleship ''Henry''. The next year, the explorer

Fyodor Litke Fyodor, Fedor (russian: Фёдор) or Feodor is the Russian form of the name "Theodore" meaning “God’s Gift”. Fedora () is the feminine form. Fyodor and Fedor are two English transliterations of the same Russian name. It may refer to: Giv ...

made first foreign contact with the locals aboard the ''Senyavin''. In his account he reported that the locals approached his ship using their canoes and asked if they could explore the ship. Litke and the locals parted on good terms, and whalers and traders started using Micronesian waters more.

Culture

Food and diet

Prior to the introduction of imported trading goods in the early twentieth century, the people of Namoluk relied on the Pacific Island diet of seafood, fruits such as

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

s and

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...

, and

taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...

. Occasionally islanders would supplement this with pork, chicken, or sweet potato. The Japanese introduced

polished rice White rice is milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavor, texture and appearance of the rice and helps prevent spoilage, extend its storage life, and makes it easier to digest. After milling (hulling), th ...

and canned fish during their colonial reign, and US exporters introduced other canned meats and turkey tail during the 1960s.

Islands

*Namoluk, located in the NW corner of the atoll, is the main island with 31 ha. Currently it is the only inhabited island and has three villages: **Saponwell in the NW **Lukolap in the center **Pukos in the SE Other islands: *Luken 1.5 ha *Toinom 21 ha *Umap 1.5 ha *Amwes located in the SE corner, 28 ha, inhabited until the 1930s, when an epidemic decimated the population. It was never resettled except for a single family. The largest islands have

fields. Denver

References

External links

Report of the German South Pacific Expedition 1908-1910Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot
Atolls of the Federated States of Micronesia Municipalities of Chuuk State {{Micronesia-geo-stub