Kolonia

Kolonia is a coastal town in Nett municipality and the capital of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Kolonia Town lies on the north side of Pohnpei island. The population of the town is estimated at 7,000 to 10,000. It is by far the largest population center on Pohnpei and the commercial center of the island.The land area of Kolonia is a small .58 square miles, with a large number of buildings lying just outside the town limits.

Kolonia Town's history is deeply colored by the long line of foreign occupiers that have passed through the island. Spain first began to build the town in 1887 as an administrative and military capital. A fort, from which ruins known as the Spanish Wall still remain, was built in order to protect the island's colonial government from German invasion and from local people. In 1899, when Germany laid claim to the island, a few roads and buildings were erected, but the town remained relatively small. The German administration also saw Kolonia completely leveled by a typhoon in 1905. The Japanese began to occupy Pohnpei in 1914 and built a bustling town of 900 buildings and vastly expanded the road system. During the Second World War, virtually every building in Kolonia was devastated by 118 tons of American bombs and some 600 incendiaries. The town was completely rebuilt during the American administration, which ended with the approval of the FSM Constitution by referendum in 1978. Building in various parts of town continues today.

Today, all of Kolonia's primary and secondary streets have been paved and street signs have been erected from one end of town to the other. Kolonia Town boasts grocery stores, restaurants, public and private schools, hotels, bars, and a variety of churches.

Kolonia is also nearby Pohnpei International Airport (IATA: PNI), located on a small island connected to the town by causeway.

A number of foreign volunteer groups operate in Kolonia, including the Peace Corps, the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV or JICA), WorldTeach, the Red Cross, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP), and Pacific Missionary Aviation (PMA) [http://www.pmapacific.org] .

Kolonia should not be confused with Colonia, which is the capital of Yap State.

References

*Panholzer, Thomas and Rufino Mauricio. "Place Names of Pohnpei Island". Honolulu, Hawaii: Bess Press, 2003.