Palikir

Palikir is the national capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, set inland on Pohnpei island among forested hills. The governmental complex spreads across a green campus with administrative offices, official residences, and landscaped grounds beneath the canopy.

The Federated States of Micronesia gained independence in 1986 after being administered by the United States. The new capital was established in 1989 to move government functions from the coastal town of Kolonia to this purpose-built center.

Traditional Micronesian languages intermingle with English in Palikir, where government officials and local residents maintain indigenous customs alongside modern administration.

Visitors arrive through the international airport on Pohnpei and find accommodation mainly in coastal Kolonia. Regular rain showers make waterproof clothing advisable year-round, especially during the wet season from April to November.

The capital has no formal city limits or defined boundaries and merges with the surrounding rainforest. Though it serves as the national seat, only a few hundred residents live here, mainly government employees and their families.

Location: Pohnpei State

Elevation above the sea: 80 m

GPS coordinates: 6.92074,158.16271

Latest update: December 13, 2025 19:22