TRUK DISTRICT 07°28'N 151°52'E MOEN ISLAND General The Truk District comprises the central portion of the Caroline Is- lands. It is a part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Department of the Interior, with headquarters at Saipan. The Truk District Civil Administrator's headquarters are located on Moen Island. Physical Data The Truk District consists of nearly 90 islands and islets, 50 of which are on a great encircling barrier reef that encloses a wedge-shaped 30 by 12 mile lagoon and provides one of the best anchorages in the Carolines. Within this lagoon are the large islands of Moen, Dublon, Fefan, Uman, Udot, Fanapenges and Tol, with elevations from 375-ft. to over 1,400-ft. above sea level. Instead of being the usual low and narrow atolls strung along an encircling reef, they are high, broad, volcanic islands in the center of the lagoon. These islands are of basalt, rugged, densely wooded, with mangrove swamps and fringing reefs around their coastlines. Inland from the mangroves and farming areas are steeply rising hills and mountains. There are a few sandy beaches on these volcanic islands, most of which are on Moen. The lower coastal areas are used for coconut plantations, taro and breadfruit plots. Climate North-northwest and east trade winds prevail in the dry season, which is from November through June. In the wet season, from July through November, the prevailing winds are from the south or southeast. The average yearly temperature seldom varies from 80° to 81°F, with recorded highs of 94°F and lows of 70°F. Precipitation is lightest in the November-June period. Many of the islands report annual precipitation in excess of 180 inches; 32 and 34 inches have been recorded for July and December; however, average monthly measurements are between 6-and 13 inches. Relative humidity is high with recorded lows of 77 percent and highs of 92 percent. August and September are the months of greatest frequency for typhoons; however, the Truk area is seldom in the path of these cyclonic disturbances as they occur to the west and north of the Truk Islands. Local magnetic disturbances of 2° have been reported in the Truk Harbor Area. Facilities The main harbor is on Dublon Island; it has a 300-ft. wharf with depths of 35-ft. alongside. Fresh water and POL are available. The settlement on the northwest side of Moen Island is the center for government activities. The 300-ft. concrete pier on Moen can dock LST's; however, there is no cargo handling equipment. A 100-ft. pier with depth alongside of 1l6-ft. is on the northwest side of Moen. There are warehouses, cold storage and oil storage facilities, and a small hospital on Moen. The Moen airstrip, 3,960 x 150-ft., connects MAC and Trust Territory Contract aircraft with Guam and other Pacific Islands. Communication facilities to Guam and U. S. Navy installations are also available. 7-1 VOL il April 1969