Namoluk

Namoluk is an atoll of the Micronesian state of Chuuk. The Namoluk Atoll lies 188 km to the southeast of Chuuk Islands. The nearest neighbor is the atoll Ettal ( Etal ) in the Mortlock Islands 50 km further to the southeast.

Geography

The atoll has five islands that lie on the edge of the coral reef and taken together have a land area of ​​83.4 hectares. The 7.7 km ² lagoon is 20-77 meters deep. The Ring of the fringing reef is nearly closed, and boats can enter at one or two places on the south side of the lagoon only under optimum conditions ..

The total area of the atoll measures 13 km ². This Namoluk one of the smallest atolls in Micronesia.

The atoll has a total of three large and two small islands on ( clockwise from the north):

• Namoluk (main island in the north-west, 31 acres, inhabited )
• Lukan 1.5 hectares
• Toinom 21 acres
• Umap 1.5 hectares
• Amas ( Amwes ) ( south-east, 28 acres, inhabited until the 1930s )

Only the main island Namoluk is inhabited. With a maximum height of 30 meters, it is also the highest island of the atoll. Until the 1930s also Amas was inhabited, as an epidemic that killed the entire population. Amas has since not repopulated, with the exception of a family. On the three larger islands taro is grown.

On the main island Namoluk there are three villages:

Pokos is located right on the lagoon. It is also where the population is concentrated. The taro cultivation activities are focused in Saponwell at the opposite end of the island.

Management

The atoll Namoluk is simultaneously a comune ( municipality ), one of eleven municipalities of the island region of statistical Mortlocks.