Palikir is the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, a country composed of more than 600 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is located on the northern coast of Pohnpei Island.
Palikir is not a residential city. That is, no one lives there. Instead it is a district of government buildings. The buildings house the government agencies of the Federated States of Micronesia. A short distance from Palikir is the city of Kolonia. Kolonia has a museum and various relics of World War II battles. Kolonia is also the site of the ruins of a Spanish fort built in the late 19th century.
There is little industry in Palikir or elsewhere in the country. The majority of Micronesia's residents live in small villages. They farm and fish to feed their own families. Much of Micronesia's economy is dependent on aid from the United States, which once governed the country. An airport is located outside the city.
The islands of the Federated States of Micronesia were successively ruled by Spain, Germany, and Japan and by the United States. They became an independent country in 1991, with Palikir as the capital. The capital complex was built on the site of an airfield used by the Japanese in World War II.
