Pattiw or Western Islands is the name of the westernmost area of the State of
Chuuk in the
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 ...
, consisting of the three islands or
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 ...
s of
Houk,
Poluwat
Poluwat, also Polowat, formerly Puluwat, is a coral atoll and a municipality of Chuuk state, Federated States of Micronesia.
Geography
Polowat is located in the northwestern region ( Oksoritod), and there in the western area (Pattiw) of Chu ...
and
Pollap
Pulap or Pollap is an atoll with a total area (including the lagoon) of , of which is emergent land, consisting of three islands, Pollap in the north, Tamatam in the south, and Fanadik at the western fringe of the reef. The atoll is located in the ...
,
with a total land area of and a population of 2,736 (as of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000). Pattiw is one of three areas of Chuuk's Northwestern Region,
Oksoritod. Poluwat is attached to the large Uranie Bank ( ) and lies in the northwest corner of the bank, while Houk (Pulusuk) marks the southeastern point of Manila Reef (also in area).
Banks
There are more separate submerged banks in the area and further west up to 148°E, which is considered the dividing line to the State of
Yap
Yap ( yap, Waqaab) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micr ...
:
*Hitchfield Bank 7°44'N 149°40'E ( east-northeast of Pollap)
*Lady Elgin Bank 6°18'N 149°28'E
*Helene Shoal 5°32'N 149°08'E
*Enderby Reef 7°23'N 149°07'E ( west-northwest of Poluwat)
*
Gray Feather Bank
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed ...
8°00'N 148°46'E (the largest bank in the area, a completely submerged atoll)
*Mogami Bank 8°23'N 148°45'E
*Koyo Bank 8°26'N 148°24'E, north of Gray Feather Bank
*Shin-matsuye Bank 7°56'N 148°21'E
*McLaughlin Bank 9°07'N 148°06'E, with small part west of 148°E (border to the State of Yap)
*Condor Bank 7°30'N 148°04'E (not to be confused with condor reef in the State of Yap)
There are four of Chuuk's 40 municipalities in the Pattiw area. Houk and Poluwat are municipalities, while Pollap atoll is divided into the municipalities of Pollap (north) and Tamatam (south). The largest municipality of Pattiw is Poluwat, with a population of 1,015 (as of 2000).
References
External links
Houk Island
Islands of Chuuk State
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