PalikirCapital
Micronesia · Country profile
Palikir is the green, hillside capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, the modest administrative town of the north-west of the island of the Pohnpei that replaced the colonial-era town as the seat of the national government in 1989. Set inland among the dense rainforest and the fruit trees of the island, it gathers the capitol complex, the government offices and the quiet residential streets of a genuinely small Pacific capital. Its day life is government and family centred, its markets and shops those of an ordinary island town, while the astonishing ancient ruin city and the steep green peaks of the island wait within reach of the capital. Calm, verdant and lightly visited, Palikir is the working heart of the four-state federation of the west Pacific.
About Palikir
Palikir is the capital of Micronesia. The city's documented population is around 5,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the US Dollar (USD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +691.
The Offices of the Government and the Streets of the Town
The capital is a small, spread-out administrative town rather than a dense city, its character set by the federal offices, the local streets and the everyday rhythm of the island life. The capitol building with its distinctive white structure stands above the town, and the coastal road to the older port town, with its shops, its churches and its harbour, runs the practical errands of the visitor. The great interest of the island, the ruined city with its basalt islets on the tidal flats, and the waterfalls, the mangroves and the peaks of the interior fill the real day trips. Tourists mostly come for the diving and the outer islands, passing through the capital region on the way.
The Rock of the Sokehs and the Coast of the Pohnpei
The weather is tropical and wet, with a pronounced rainy season and the trade-wind drier months of the southern winter, while typhoon threats pass through the western summer. The dollar is the currency, the English the lingua franca and the Pohnpeian the local language. Most stays gather in the hotels and the dive shops of the coastal strip near the port and the airport, with the capital a short drive inland. The visitors permit that funds the conservation of the island is paid on arrival, and modest dress, insect protection and sturdy shoes for the muddy trails complete the simple kit. The ancient ruins and the reefs of the famous diving draw the keen traveller here.
The Ruins of the Nan Madol and the Reefs of the Island
The capitol complex of the federation, the modern white building with its flag that rises on the hill among the trees, and its quiet grounds make the short ceremonial visit of the stop. The road from the airport and the coast climbs past the wartime-era bridges and the sprawl of the island life to the administrative town, and the outer islets of the federation, from the stone-money islands of the west to the coral atolls of the east, connect by the limited flights of the national airline. The ruins of the ancient city, the so-called Venice of the Pacific with its basalt islets and its canal walls, are the great archaeological wonder of the region, and the legends, the reefs and the peaks of the island frame the deep green world around the little capital. A working, unshowy admin town at the centre of an island nation, Palikir is the quiet seat of one of the more fascinating small countries of the Pacific.
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- Country
- Micronesia
- Population
- 5,000
- Capital
- Palikir
- Region
- Oceania
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +691
- Country code
- FM
Frequently asked questions
Is Palikir the capital of Micronesia?
Yes — Palikir is the capital of Micronesia.
What currency do I need in Palikir?
The local currency is the US Dollar (USD). Languages spoken in Micronesia include English.
What is the dialling code for Micronesia?
The international dialling code for Micronesia is +691.
Flying out of Palikir? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.