Mokil Atoll

Last updated
Mokil Atoll
Mwoakilloa
Mokil Landsat.jpg
Satellite image of Mokil Atoll
Mokil.jpg
Map of Mokil Atoll
Geography
LocationNorth Pacific
Coordinates 6°40′N159°46′E / 6.667°N 159.767°E / 6.667; 159.767
ArchipelagoCaroline
Total islands3
Area1.24 km2 (0.48 sq mi)
Administration
State Pohnpei
Demographics
Population147 (2008)
Ethnic groups Mokilese
Flag of the municipality of Mwoakilloa Flag of Mwoakilloa.svg
Flag of the municipality of Mwoakilloa

Mwoakilloa (or Mokil, previously named Wellington Island or Duperrey Island, after Louis Isidore Duperrey) is an inhabited atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. Geographically, it belongs to the Caroline Islands and is a municipality of the outlying islands of Pohnpei State of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Contents

Mwoakilloa lies 153 kilometres east of Pohnpei and approximately 113 kilometres northwest of Pingelap. The almost-rectangular atoll is 4.5 kilometres long and 2.8 kilometres broad. The atoll consists of the three islands Uhrek, Kahlap (Capitol), and Mwandohn, forming a central lagoon of approximately 2 square kilometres in area. Only the northeast island Kahlap is inhabited, with the town facing the lagoon. The total area of all islands is approximately 1.24 square kilometres.

The population of Mwoakilloa decreased from 177 in 2000 [1] to 147 in 2008. The inhabitants speak Mokilese — similar to the Pohnpeian language in the family of Micronesian languages.

The name "Wellington Island" comes from the vessel Marquis of Wellington , whose captain named the island after his vessel. The Marquis of Wellington was on her way to China, having transported 200 or so convicts to Port Jackson, Australia, from Britain.

The atoll is home to a local narrative of a Princess Eti, who could speak in many tongues and communicated with the first French explorers to the island.

Transportation

Mokil Atoll Airfield
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment
OperatorCivil Government
ServesKahlap
Mokil Atoll
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
ftm
1,200370 Concrete
A resident of Mokil Atoll waves to the C-130 crew after receiving an air dropped aid package during Operation Christmas Drop, 2012. Mokil airdrop.jpg
A resident of Mokil Atoll waves to the C-130 crew after receiving an air dropped aid package during Operation Christmas Drop, 2012.

Mokil Airfield is located on the southern end of Kahlap with a 1,200-foot (370 m) runway. [2] The airfield offers no service and used by chartered flights by Caroline Islands Air.

References

  1. Pohnpei Census 2000 (PDF)
  2. "Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Division of Civil Aviation | Mwoakilloa (Mokil) Civil Airfield, Mwoakilloa Atoll, Micronesia".

Bibliography