PONAPE ISLAND 06°59'N 158°13'E General Ponape Island is part of the Strategic Trust Territory of the Pacific administered by the United States (Department of Interior) for the United Nations. The population of Ponape is about 19, 000. Physical Data Ponape is a roughly circular volcanic island (mean diameter about 12 miles) surrounded by a lagoon and barrier reefs (55 miles in circum- ference) which, on the southeast coast, abut against the island as fringing reefs. Large islands, many basaltic rather than coralline, lie in the lagoon just off the coast of Ponape proper; some small islands are on the barrier reef. In all, there are some 26 islands with a total land mass of 129 sq.mi. The area of the lagoonis 69 sq.mi. There are + distinct topographic units: the coral reef and lagoon, the coastal lowlands and mangrove swamps, the hilly areas, and the mountainous interior. The barrier reef encloses a lagoon whose maximum depth is 40 fathoms and mean depth is about 15 fathoms. Conditions in this zone are similar to typical atoll conditions. Inland of the lagoon isa belt of lowlands with a maximum width of 3-1/2 mi. and frequently fringed with mangrove swamps. Between the coastal lowlands and the interior mountains lies a belt of foothills. The interior is composed of rock eroded into elongated crenulated ridges from the foothill zone to the vicinity of the center of the island, where they coalesce to form Totolom Peak (2,595-ft.). Halfa dozen other points along the ridges are over 2.000-ft. Relief averages about 1,000-ft. The reef supports coconut palms and the run of atoll plants; the swampy coastal strip is occupied by mangrove. Inland, these give place to nipa palms, tree ferns, and, in the elevated interior, to a low, dense forest of areca palms and various timber trees. Patches of grassland occur in the interior. Climate Weather is dominated by maritime air masses associated with the northeast trade wind regime. The trades blow almost entirely from the east (east, southeast, northeast) throughout the year. Rainfall averages 180 to 220 inches and exceeds 10 inches in every month but February. A total of over 60 inches falls in April and May. Rain can be expected 310 days of the year, usually in the form of 20-minute squalls. Air temperatures are near 80°F throughout the year (82°in March, 78°in August & September). Mean maximum is 86°; mean minimum is 72°F. Typhoons are rare. Haze is nonexistent. Facilities Docking facilities in Ponape Harbor are limited by pier-side water depth to vessels equivalent to an LCU or a 500-ton barge loaded to 200 tons. Beaching facilities are limited to the beaching of LCU's at high tide. Large ships can be anchored in the roadstead and discharged to barges for lightering to the pier. Aircraft landing facilities are limited. Landings have also been made in the lagoon with SA-16 and UF-1 aircraft. Commissary and hospital facilities are available from Trust Territory installations. A communications relay center operates in the vicinity of the weather station. Ponape town 1s electrified and well supplied with water. 40-1 VOLII April 1969