Pingelap

Pingelap is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, part of Pohnpei State of the Federated States of Micronesia, consisting of three islands: Pingelap Island, Sukoru and Daekae, linked by a reef system and surrounding a central lagoon, although only Pingelap Island is inhabited. The entire system has a land area of 1.8 km2 (455 acres) at high-tide, and is less than at its widest point. The atoll has its own language, Pingelapese, spoken by most of the atoll's 250 residents. The first European observer of the islands was Captain Thomas Musgrave in the ship . Captain MacAskill in revisited them in 1809. Errors in measurement of their location resulted in the islands being separately named on charts in the 19th century as the Musgrave Islands and the MacAskill islands, within the Caroline archipelago. Historically, the Ouwa or the Paramount Chief or King of Pikelap which is a hereditary title that granted supreme rule of the land, ruled the island of Pikelap which is now known as Pingelap. Japan seized the atoll in October 1914, following the start of World War I. The hereditary system remained in place during Japanese rule, although the title was renamed "Island Magistrate". Japan used the southern part of Pingelap Island during hostilities in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II for a supply base. Allied Forces later attacked it. The presence of foreign troops on the island led to the introduction of a number of infectious diseases, including gonorrhoea, tuberculosis and dysentery, which reduced the population from its pre-war level of around 1000 to 800, and decreased the fertility rate significantly. The arrival of the U.S. Navy in 1945 resulted in the setting up of a democratically elected system alongside the traditional system, which gradually weakened in power. Universal primary education was provided for Pingelapese children and a limited health care scheme was set up to eradicate the diseases introduced during the war. During the 1960s, the Peace Corps and U.S. Air Force settled on the main island. The U.S.