Pohnpei (also spelled Ponape and earlier Bonabee) is one of the islands in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and is one of the Senyavin Islands. The FSM's capital Palikir is located on Pohnpei.
The island of Pingelap, located several hundred miles to the east of Pohnpei, but part of Pohnpei State, is notable for the prevalence of the extreme form of color blindness known as maskun. Maskun is relatively rare but often shows up in communities with small gene-pools. Pingelap was featured in the book, The Island of the Colorblind, by neurologist Oliver Sacks.
The island plays a central role in the fictional Cthulhu Mythos as being only a day away from the fictional island of R'lyeh, the place where the fictional characterCthulhu currently resides. Several stories by H. P. Lovecraft, August Derleth and others use this island as a setting or contain references to it.
This is based on the Ruins of Nan Madol that were already used as a setting of a lost race story by Abraham Merritt (The Moon Pool), where the island is called Nan-Tauach. Some Occultists see Nan Madol as connected to the lost continent of Lemuria.
The quantity and value of pearl shell collected on Ponape and other islands during this period is uncertain, but we do know that towards the end of the century about three tons a year were exported from Ponape.
Ponape was to become the testing ground for this new economic policy, and in 1908 the first of several measures was initiated there in an effort to make the island more productive.
The German reforms, interrupted on Ponape by the Sokehs rebellion, did not have the desired effect of significantly increasing the commercial output of the colony.
Ponape Island was bombed during daylight on May 6 by Seventh Army Air Force Mitchell bombers and on the night of May 6 by Seventh Army Air Force Liberators.
Ponape Island was attacked by Seventh Army Air Force Mitchells at sight on May 19 and during daylight on May 20 (West Longitude Date).
Ponape Island was bombed during daylight on May 22 by Liberator and Mitchell bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force.
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