Pakin Atoll is a small

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 ...

lying off the northwest coast 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 Pohnpei ...

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 ...

. Along with the nearby

Ant Atoll Ant Atoll is a small atoll lying off the west coast of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Along with the nearby Pakin Atoll, these islands constitute the Senyavin group of islands. Ant's first European visitor was Álvaro de Saaved ...

these islands constitute the Senyavin group of islands. Pakin has a population of around 90-100 people, all of whom are members of the diasporic Mortlockese community in

Sokehs Sokehs is a village and municipality on the main island in the state of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. It is the location of Palikir, the federal capital. The namesake Sokehs Peninsula is located north of the main island. Education P ...

. The community is represented by traditional leadership (Sounirek Pakein) and is recognized as a non-government organization under the name "Pakin Community Association" (PCA). The by-laws and articles of pledge of the PCA were signed on August 28, 2007. Pakin Elementary School and a large Catholic church are located on the largest islet of Nikahlap. The other inhabited islets of Pakin Atoll include Painpwel, Wesetik, Mwanid, and Olamwin. The atoll is a popular site with tourists for diving and snorkelling.

History

The first recorded sighting by Europeans was by the Spanish vessel "San Jeronimo", commanded by female explorer

Isabel Barreto Isabel Barreto de Castro (Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain), (1567 – 1612) was a Spanish sailor and traveler, the first known woman to hold the office of admiral in the history of navigation. She was purportedly the granddaughter of Francisco Barr ...

on 21 December 1595 with

Pedro Fernández de Quirós Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...

as pilot.Brand, Donald D. ''The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations'' The American Geographical Society, New York, 1967, p.136.

References

Atolls of the Federated States of Micronesia Islands of Pohnpei {{Micronesia-geo-stub