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Palikir () is the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
city of 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 compr ...
located in the western
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
. A town of slightly under 5,000 residents, it is part of the larger Sokehs municipality, which had a population of 6,647 , out of the nation's total population of 106,487. It is situated on the northwest side of
Pohnpei Pohnpei "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')" (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic: ''*Fawo ni pei)'' is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnp ...
island (population 34,789), a high volcanic island surrounded by a fringing
coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of Colony (biology), colonies of coral polyp (zoology), polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, wh ...
. Nearby to the northeast is the island's largest settlement, the coastal town of
Kolonia Kolonia is a coastal town and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). It was also the former FSM capital before being replaced by Palikir in 1989, located nearby to the southwest in the municipality of Sokehs ...
. It was declared the capital of Micronesia in 1989.


History

Pohnpei was ruled by tribal chiefs in ancient times. Palikir was formerly a tiny village of little consequence. The island of Pohnpei was encountered by the Portuguese and Spanish in the 15th century, but colonial settlement did not occur until 1886 by the Spanish. Later
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
attained the
Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) 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 (FSM) in the ce ...
via purchase from Spain at the end of the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
in 1898. During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
control passed to the Japanese. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the Japanese built an airport near Kolonia. Subsequent to World War II, the island was administered by the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
Government until FSM attained independence in 1979. The government of the Federated States of Micronesia decided to convert the Palikir area into a town to house the central administration of the islands as a purpose built capital city. It was declared the capital of Micronesia in 1989. US aid of US$15 million was made available to develop the site into a modern town. All government offices, some residential houses, and the residence of the President of the Federated States of Micronesia were built. It is now the hub of the federal administration of the country, despite still being a village with a population of 4,645.


Geography

Palikir is located in the northwestern center of Pohnpei Island (formerly known as Ponape). Geologically the island terrain consists of high mountains to low
coral atoll Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secr ...
s. It is the largest, highest, wettest and most scenic island of the Federated States of Micronesia. Palikir is southwest of
Kolonia Kolonia is a coastal town and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). It was also the former FSM capital before being replaced by Palikir in 1989, located nearby to the southwest in the municipality of Sokehs ...
, which is Pohnpei's largest town and state capital of Pohnpei State. Underwater reefs are found all round the coastal region of the island. to the southeast,
Mount Nanlaud Mount Nanlaud is the highest point of the Federated States of Micronesia and of the Micronesian island of Pohnpei at as indicated on the definitive USGS 1:25,000 scale topographic survey. It is located in the southern part of the island on the ...
is the highest point of 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 compr ...
and of Pohnpei at as indicated on the definitive
USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
1:25,000 scale topographic survey. Palikir is surrounded by heavily wooded forest.


Climate

Palikir features a
tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southe ...
under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
. However, as a trade-wind climate which besides knows frequent
cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an an ...
s it is not equatorial. Common to many areas with this climate, Palikir sees very little variance in its temperatures during the course of the year, averaging roughly daily throughout the year. However, the town sees an extraordinary amount of precipitation during the course of the year. On average of rainfall falls on Palikir annually. It is the wettest capital city in the world.


Demographics

The nationality of the people is Micronesian with the most common ethnicities being Chuukese,
Kosraeans The Micronesians or Micronesian peoples are various closely related ethnic groups native to Micronesia, a region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. They are a part of the Austronesian ethnolinguistic group, which has an Urheimat in Taiwan. ...
, Pohnpeian, and Yapese. English is the common and official language while each of the major islands have their own local language such as Chuukese,
Kosraean Kosraean , sometimes rendered Kusaiean, is the language spoken on the islands of Kosrae (Kusaie), a nation-state of the Federated States of Micronesia, Caroline Islands. In 2001 there were approximately 8,000 speakers in Micronesia, and 9,060 i ...
, Pohnpeian, and Yapese. 96% of the population is
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
with
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
being the majority religion at over 50% of the population. The city has been categorized as having a "high degree of hardship with a typical hardship premium of 30%" from an international perspective.


Administration

Since 1989, Palikir is the federal
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), which attained independence from, and remains since in free association with, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
in May 1979. FSM has a constitutional government headed by a president.


Economy

The economy of the capital city is reflected in the economic resources of the FSM Islands (600 islands, atolls and islets (including Pohnpei Island)) as a whole. The economy of the island consists basically of subsistence farming and fishing (fish processing and aquaculture). Tropical agricultural and plantation products like
copra Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from co ...
,
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 Phil ...
,
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 Afri ...
,
betel nuts The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plan ...
, sweet potatoes, cassava, tropical fruits and vegetables, trochus shells, cacao and rice are produced. Livestock, such as pigs and poultry, are raised. Products such as fish, bananas, black pepper, and garments are mainly exported to
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. Food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment and beverages are imported. The country is independent, but in fact depends on financial support stemming from its
Compact of Free Association The Compact of Free Association (COFA) is an international agreement establishing and governing the relationships of free association between the United States and the three Pacific Island sovereign states of the Federated States of Micronesia (F ...
with the US. the inflation rate was 2% and the cost of living (for imported goods) in Palikir is reportedly very high in comparison with other places in the world.


Education

Pohnpei State Department of Education Pohnpei State Department of Education (PDOE) is an agency of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia that operates public schools. Churchill B. Edward is the department's director. Schools it had 31 elementary schools with 556 preschool ...
operates public schools: * Palikir Elementary SchoolPohnpei Schools
" Pohnpei State Department of Education. Retrieved on 23 February 2018.
Bailey Olter High School Bailey Olter High School, formerly Pohnpei Island Central School (PICS),
." Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia Washi ...
(former Pohnpei Island Central School or PICS) in
Kolonia Kolonia is a coastal town and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). It was also the former FSM capital before being replaced by Palikir in 1989, located nearby to the southwest in the municipality of Sokehs ...
serves students from Sokehs.Secondary Division
"
Pohnpei State Department of Education Pohnpei State Department of Education (PDOE) is an agency of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia that operates public schools. Churchill B. Edward is the department's director. Schools it had 31 elementary schools with 556 preschool ...
. Retrieved on 23 February 2018.


Notable people

*
Bailey Olter Bailey Olter (27 March 1932, Mwoakilloa, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia – 16 February 1999) was a Micronesian political figure. He was elected to the Senate of Micronesian Congress from Ponape district. He served as Vice President ...
, politician *
Emelihter Kihleng Emelihter Kihleng is a Micronesian (and more specifically Pohnpeian) poet. She is the first ever Micronesian to publish a collection of poetry in the English language,
, poet


References

{{Authority control Capitals in Oceania