Sonsorol

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Flag of Sonsorol

Sonsorol is one of the sixteen states of Palau. The administrative center is Dongosaru on Sonsorol island. The inhabitants speak Sonsorolese, a local Trukic language, and Palauan.

The islands of the state of Sonsorol, together with the islands of Hatohobei, form the Southwest Islands of Palau.

The state is subdivided into four municipalities, which correspond to the four individual islands, with one village on each island, with the possible exception of Fanna Island. The islands are, from north to south (Fanna Island and Sonsorol Island are together called Sonsorol Islands):

NASA Satellite Imagery Sonsorol Islands
(Fanna and Sonsorol)
NASA Satellite Imagery of
Pulo Anna
NASA Satellite Imagery of Merir
No. Municipality
(Island) 		Village Area
(km²) 		Population
est. 2000 		Coordinates
1 Fanna - 0.54 0 05°21′09″N 132°13′32″E / 5.35250°N 132.22556°E / 5.35250; 132.22556
2 Sonsorol Dongosaru 1.36 24 05°19′28″N 132°13′16″E / 5.32444°N 132.22111°E / 5.32444; 132.22111
3 Pulo Anna Puro 0.50 10 04°39′34″N 131°57′49″E / 4.65944°N 131.96361°E / 4.65944; 131.96361
4 Merir Melieli 0.90 5 04°19′27″N 132°18′37″E / 4.32417°N 132.31028°E / 4.32417; 132.31028
State of Sonsorol Dongosaru 3.30 39  

Islands

Fanna

Fanna, also called Fana, is encircled by a coral reef extending 160 to 480 m offshore, and nearly circular in shape, with a diameter of 350 m. The island is thickly wooded with coconut palms and other trees. The island is referenced as a municipality, with Mariano Carlos serving as chief since 2000. A building is visible on the southwestern shore, though the island is noted as uninhabited by different sources[citation needed]. Fanna Island and nearby Sonsorol Island 1.6 km further south together form the Sonsorol Islands.

Sonsorol

Sonsorol Island, also called Dongosaro or Dongosaru, is encircled by a coral reef extending 160 to 480 m offshore. It is 2 km long north south, and up to 890 m wide in the north. It is located 1.6 km south of Fanna Island. The village of Dongosaro, which is the capital of the state, is located on the west coast. The island is thickly wooded with coconut palms and other trees. Together with Fanna, it forms the Sonsorol Islands.

Pulo Anna

Pulo Anna or Puro is fringed by a coral reef extending beyond 460 m offshore. The island itself is about elliptical and measures 800 meters northeast-southwest, and is up to 550 meters wide. Puro village is on the northwest side of the island. Pulo Anna lies in the flow of the Equatorial Countercurrent throughout the year.

Merir

Merir Island, or Melieli, is fringed by reef which extends beyond 1100 m offshore in the south and 160 m in the north. The edges of the reef are steep-to, except at the northern end where a spit, with a depth of 12.8 meters at its outer end, extends about 1300 meters northward. The island itself is 2.200 meters north south, and up to 600 meters wide. The village of Melieli, which has a radio station, is located on the northwest side of the island.

History

The first sighting by Europeans of Sonsorol islands was by the Spanish ship Trinidad then commanded by Gonzalo Gómez de Espinosa, after the death of Magellan.[1] They were charted as San Antonio y San Juan on 6 May 1522. A Spanish missionary expedition commanded by Sargento Mayor Francisco Padilla arrived to Sonsorol on 30 November 1710, coming from Manila on board of patache Santísima Trinidad. In 1712 they were explored by an expedition commanded by Spanish naval officer Bernardo de Egoy[2]

References

  1. ↑ Brand, Donald D. The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations The American Geographical Society, New York, 1967, p.119.
  2. ↑ Coello, Francisco "Conflicto hispano-alemán" Boletín de Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid, t.XIX. 2º semestre 1885, Madrid, p.247

External links

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