Oroluk (Atoll)

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

Oroluk is an atoll in the North West of the State of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia. From Palikir, the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, the atoll is about 325 km away.

Geography

The atoll extends from northwest to southeast for about 32 km and an average of 20 km wide. The only island of the atoll is Oroluk in the extreme northwest, with a land area of 13 hectares. About 25 narrow, elongated and vegetation-free sand islands and banks, especially on the eastern edge of the 420 km ² large lagoon, which together took about 37 hectares and barely reached heights of two meters, have been washed away by cyclones over the decades. The total area of the atoll is 453 km ². The lagoon is up to 75 meters deep.

History

Oroluk was probably inhabited by Micronesians since the 15th century.

The atoll and the main island was established in June 1826 discovered by P. Saliz, captain of the French ship Peruvien and called Ile de gordelaise. Later, the main island of Oroluk was named San Augustine or St. Augustine Iceland.

1861 was the British merchant ship Norna on a reef in the north of the atoll. With the lifeboats succeeded sailors to bring on St. Augustine Iceland to safety.

1899, sold as Oroluk together with the other Caroline Islands of Spain for 17 million marks and protected area of the German Empire, was the atoll was inhabited by several families from Kapingamarangi.

1914, the atoll was occupied by Japan, and the island's population was deported. For 1935 (ie in the period of Japanese administration) a population is given by 4.

From the early 1950s there were attempts to resettle people from overpopulated Kapingamarangi Atoll. 1954 worked 10 men from Kapingamarangi on the establishment of a municipal solid on Oroluk. Among the censuses of 1967, 1973, 1985 and 2000, the atoll was listed as uninhabited. Last six more people were counted in the 1980 census. In 1994, the population was not detected separately from Kapingamarangi.

Use

There is an automatic weather station at the northern tip of the small atoll island Oroluk.

Community

The census of 1980 mentioned Oroluk yet. Than their own community, as one of twelve municipalities of Pohnpei, which also includes the Minto Reef belonged The Constitution of the State of Pohnpei, however, not mentioned Oroluk as a municipality, but only eleven municipalities. Oroluk and Minto Reef are then free community (Areas Outside the Local Governments ).