Sorol

Sorol
Location of Sorol in the Pacific Ocean
Sorol

NASA picture of Sorol Atoll
Geography
Location North Pacific
Coordinates 8°08′N 140°25′E / 8.133°N 140.417°E / 8.133; 140.417
Archipelago Caroline
Total islands 9
Area 0.934 km2 (0.361 sq mi)
Highest elevation 2 m (7 ft)
Administration
Demographics
Population 215 (2000)
Ethnic groups Micronesian

Sorol is a coral atoll of nine islands in the central Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Sorol is located approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Ulithi and 250 kilometres (160 mi) southeast of the island of Yap. The population of Sorol was 215 in 2000.[1] Sorol is a municipality with the state of Yap[2] although its population has been listed together with that of Fais in some statistical publications.[3]

Geography

The atoll is 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) long east-west, and up to 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) wide. The northern rim of the atoll consists of a reef with several islets. Its total land area is only 0.934 square kilometres (0.361 sq mi), but it encloses a 45 metres (148 ft) deep lagoon of 7.1 square kilometres (2.7 sq mi). The shorter southern rim is less well-developed and narrower than the northern rim, with two small passages into the lagoon. Only the four largest islets are vegetated.[4]

Among the individual islets are the following:

History

First recorded sighting of Sorol Island was by the Spanish navigator Alonso de Arellano on 22 January 1565 on board of the patache San Lucas.[5]

As with all of the Caroline Islands, they were sold by Spain to the Empire of Germany in 1899. The island came under the control of the Empire of Japan after World War I, and was subsequently administered under the South Pacific Mandate. Following World War II. The island came under the control of the United States of America and was administered as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1947, and became part of the Federated States of Micronesia from 1979.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Oceandots at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 2010)
  5. ↑ Coello, Francisco "Conflicto hispano-alemán" Boletín de Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid, t.XIX. 2º semestre 1885, Madrid, p.242,289
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