Palikir
| Palikir | |
|---|---|
 within the island of Pohnpei |
|
| Coordinates: 6°55′2″N 158°9′32″E / 6.91722°N 158.15889°ECoordinates: 6°55′2″N 158°9′32″E / 6.91722°N 158.15889°E | |
| Country |  FS Micronesia |
| State |  Pohnpei |
| Municipality | Sokehs |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 7,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+11[1] |
Palikir (pronounced: päˌlēkĭr) is a town and capital of the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean.[2][3][4] It is a large settlement of 6444 people as of 2000, compared to the population of the island, 32,395. It is situated in the northern mainland area the Pohnpei island which is a high coral-capped volcanic island. Nearby to the northeast is the island’s other large settlement, the coastal city of Kolonia.[5] The town contains government buildings and the Palikir Elementary School.
Contents |
History [edit]
Micronesia was ruled by tribal chiefs in ancient times. Palikir was formerly a tiny village. The earliest colonists were the Portuguese who were followed by the Spanish, in the sixteenth century who colonized the islands. Later the German's took over and then its control passed to the Japanese. Subsequent to World War II, the island remained with the United States Government till it attained independence in 3 November 1986. [6] During the World War II, the Japanese built an airport near the present town.[7] 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 and eventually became the capital city. It was declared the capital of Micronesia in 1989.[8] US aid of US $ 15 million was made available to develop it into a modern town.[9] All government offices, residential houses, and also the residence of the President of the Melanesian Islands were built. It is now the major hub of the socio-economic and administration of the country, despite still being a very small town.[6]
Geography [edit]
Palikir is located in the northwestern centre of Pohnpei Island (formerly known as Ponape). Geologically the terrain consists high mountains to low coral atolls.[10] It is the largest, highest, wettest and most scenic island of Micronesia.[9] The capital city is close to Koloni, which is Pohnpei’s largest town and was earlier its capital.[2] Underwater reefs are found all round the coastal region of the island.[3] Dolohmwar (Totolom) is the highest mountain in the island which rises to a height of 791 m.[6] Palikir is surrounded by heavily wooded forest and is 10 km to the west of Kolonia which was the old capital. It was declared the capital of Micronesia in 1989.[8]
Climate [edit]
The climate is tropical with rainfall recorded throughout the year.[10]
| Climate data for Palikir, Pohnpei | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 24 (75) |
24 (76) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (74) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
23.5 (74.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24 (75) |
24 (76) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (74) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
23.5 (74.2) |
| Precipitation cm (inches) | 300 (12) |
264 (10.4) |
361 (14.2) |
447 (17.6) |
493 (19.4) |
434 (17.1) |
445 (17.5) |
422 (16.6) |
410 (16) |
411 (16.2) |
401 (15.8) |
410 (16) |
4,798 (188.8) |
| Source: Weatherbase [11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics [edit]
The population of the capital city is 7000 as of 2009, as against 106,487 of the total population of the country. The population growth is slightly on the negative side. The nationality of the people is Micronesian with other common usages of Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese. English is the common and official language while each of the major islands have their own local language such as Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosrean. Religious following is Christianity for more than 96% of the people with Roman Catholics dominating the scene. The city has been categorized under "high degree of hardship with a typical hardship premium of 30%" as per the international perspective.[12][10]
Administration [edit]
Palikir is the capital of the islands which attained a separate nationhood under the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in May of 1979. The country attained independence on 3 November 1986 after the US-administered UN Trusteeship was terminated. FSM has constitutional government and operates from Palikir, the capital where the government headed by the President is situated. It entered into the Compact of Free Association with the US from 3 November 1986 and into the Amended Compact from May 2004. The country adopted its Constitution on 10 May 1979, which is observed as a National Day.[6]
Economy [edit]
The economy of the capital city is reflected in the economic resources of the Micronesian Islands (600 islands and islets including Pohnpei where the capital of the islands is located.[7]) as a whole. The economy of the island is basically of subsistence farming and fishing (fish processing and aquaculture). Products such as fish, bananas, black pepper, and garments are mainly exported to Japan. Imported items are food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment and beverages.[10][6] The local economy is dependent on its tropical agricultural and plantation products of copra, breadfruit, taros, betel nuts, sweet potatoes, casava, tropical fruits and vegetables, trochus shells, and cacao and rice. Livestock farming such as pigs and poultry are raised. Fishing is also a major economic activity.[7][6] With the exception of phosphates (of high-grade), there is minimal mining activity. Both the city and the country are nominally independent but in fact, depend on financial support stemming from its Compact of Free Association with the US. As of 2012 the inflation rate was 2%. and the cost of living in Palikir is reported to very high in comparison with other places in the country.[10]
The city itself has commercial establishments such as shops, bars and businesses, making it is one of the most commercial cities of the country. Many of the streets are paved and also have signage. Though there were 17,000 tourists in 2007 in Pohnpei, the infrastructure has been unable to accommodate everyone who wants to visit. The leasing of fishing licenses to foreign companies, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese, helps the economy, but the marine resources of the federation could dwindle by continuous fishing excesses.The town contains the Palikir Elementary School, a learning resources centre, a friendship sports centre provided with Chinese investment; the government buildings are located in a complex in the northern part of the town.[13]
Notable people [edit]
- Bailey Olter, politician
- Emelihter Kihleng, poet
References [edit]
- ^ "Current local time in Palikir". Time and Date. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Micronesia, Federated States of" (pdf). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Pohnpei: underwater reef". Kids.britannica.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "National Government". FSM Government. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- ^ "Palikir". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Micronesia, Federated States of". Ducksters.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ a b c "Pohnpei". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Palikir". Infoplease.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ a b David Leonard (1 July 2001). Diving the Pacific: Volume 1: Micronesia and the Western Pacific Islands. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 152–. ISBN 978-962-593-499-0. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Micronesia, Palikir Overview". xpatulator.com. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Palikir Federated States of Micronesia". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on 7 May 2013
- ^ "Micronesia, Federated States of People 2013". CIA Fact Book, theodora.com. Retrieved 7 may 2013.
- ^ Google Inc. Google Maps – Palikir (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Palikir+Elementary+School&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
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