Pohnpei  - Culture

Pohnpei is a "high" volcanic island, having a rugged, mountainous interior with some peaks as high as 2600 feet. It measures about thirteen miles across and is roughly circular in shape. A coral reef surrounds the island, forming a protected lagoon. There are no beaches on Pohnpei -- the coast is surrounded by mangrove swamps. Several smaller islets and atolls, many of them inhabited, lie nearby and are included in the State of Pohnpei. More than 30,000 people live on Pohnpei, although nearly a fourth of these are immigrants from other nearby islands or foreigners (mostly U.S.) working on the island.

Pohnpei has recently been tagged the "Garden Island" of Micronesia and, with one look at the luxuriant inland vegetation, it's not difficult to understand why. The island abounds in tropical forests, cascading mountain streams, spectacular waterfalls, hidden pools and exquisite flora. Most intriguing of all of Pohnpei's spectacles are the ruins of Nan Madol, an ancient Venice-like city from which, it is said, the Saudeleurs ruled Pohnpei.