Pingelap
Pingelap is an atoll in the Eastern Caroline Islands.
Alternative spellings and historic names include: Pingerappu, Pelelap, Likinepeng, Macaskill, Mcaskill, Musgrave
Pingelap is among the Outer Islands of Pohnpei within Pohnpei State, one of four states that comprise the Federated States of Micronesia.
Subunits
Islands within the atoll include: Pingelap, Takai (Sukeru), Tugulu (Deke)
"Pingelap" is also an island. As with many placenames in Micronesia, Pingelap is a geographic 'pars pro toto', in which the name of a constitutive village, island or atoll is often used describe the larger island, atoll or island grouping in which it is the predominate member.
Population, Language and Religion
The 2010 FSM Census reported a population of 258. Pingelapese is the spoken language and religious affiliation is roughly evenly split between Roman Catholics and Protestants.
Governance
Spain laid claim to the Carolines from the time of initial discovery in the early 1500's but made no attempt to occupy or administer them. In 1885 a Governor for the Carolines was appointed by the Governor General of the Philippines and presence established in Pohnpei and Yap. In this Spanish Period (1521-1899), Pingelap fell within the Western District of the Spanish East Indies.
After the Spanish-American War, Spain sold the Palau, Caroline, and Marianas Islands to Germany in 1899. In this German Period (1899-1914), the Caroline, Palau and Mariana Islands (excluding Guam), along with the Marshalls, annexed in 1885, were titled Imperial German Pacific Protectorates. The Carolines become an administrative district of German New Guinea under direction of a vice-governor and Pingelapfell within the Eastern Caroline District.
The Carolines were seized from the Germans by the Japanese early in World War I. Despite protests from the United States, including the Yap Crisis, the Islands were in 1920 mandated to Japan by the League of Nations. In this Japanese Period (1914-1941), Pingelap fell within the Ponape District of the “Nan'yō Cho” or South Seas Government.
Following liberation of the islands in the War in the Pacific, the islands were administered by the US Navy. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was formalized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 21 in 1947. The Navy passed governing duties to the Department of the Interior in 1951. During the USN Period (1945-1947) and the TTPI Period (1947-1979) Pingelap fell within the East Carolines Administrative Unit and then the Pohnpei District.
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) was established with the end of the Trust Territory. The FSM is one of three “Freely Associated States,” or “FAS” nations that entered into a Compact of Free Association or “COFA” with the US. The treaty and agreements provide economic assistance to the countries, secured US defense rights and set defense responsibilities, and allow FAS citizens to migrate to the United States.
Traditional Culture
Pre-Contact
Pre-contact social order was characterized by: a social hierarchy with stronger chiefs where violence used to seize and maintain power (Goldman Level 2 of 3); chronic interpersonal violence (between individuals who frequently, but not always, are known to one another); violence was a major part of the culture (4 on Younger's 0-4 scale); chronic warfare, defined as armed aggression between political communities or alliances of political communities, essentially continuously (4 on Younger's 0-4 scale).
Evolution
The native political organization of Mwoakilloa, Sapwuahfik, and Pingelap was essentially the same as that of Pohnpei, each of these atolls forming a separate administrative district. These three districts and the five on Pohnpei were retained as local political units by both the German and the Japanese administrations, a chief being placed in charge of each. Under the Japanese system, village headmen, corresponding to the old feudal lords or managers, were placed under the eight village chiefs. However, one very fundamental change in the native system was introduced by the German administration and continued by the Japanese government. This was the curtailment of the power of the chiefs by the distribution of land among the common people as private property. Under the Japanese administration, moreover, chiefs were often selected because of their willingness to conform to the Japanese notions of how the district should be administered, rather than because they were next in the line of succession. This led to a certain amount of dissension and conflict, which the Japanese partially alleviated by conferring informally with the aggrieved persons and asking their advice about administrative matters.
Present Day
In Pohnpei, the state constitution does not make specific mention of a formal role for the traditional leaders but chiefs can play an informal role in public sector governance, including swaying election results in favor of a particular candidate.
Electoral Divisions
The legislative branch of the Federated States of Micronesia is unicameral. Two types of Senators are elected: at-large senators, one for each of the four states, who serve four-year terms, and population-based senators, representing specific constituencies, who serve two-year terms. The President of Micronesia is elected by the Congress from amongst the four at-large senators, after which a special election is held to (re)fill that seat.Pingelap is represented in the FSM Congress by the Pohnpei, At-Large Seat Senator, and the Pohnpei, District 3 Senator.
Education
The Local Education Agency, or “school district” for Pingelap is the Ponhpei State Deparment of Education and Pingelap falls within the Educational Division 3.
Runway
Pingelap Civil Airfield is located in Pohnpei State on the west coast of the largest and southernmost of the three islands that compose Pingelap Atoll, roughly 154 nautical miles (285 km) west of Pohnpei Island. The runway is 1,200 by 100 feet of concrete.
