Weno (Chuukese: Wééné), formerly Moen, is an island municipality in the Nomoneas region of Chuuk Lagoon in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). It is the capital and main commercial hub of the state and represents the largest settlement in the FSM.
According to legend, Sowukachaw, leader of the first Chuukese people, settled on Weno in a place called Wunuunganata (meaning "high place"). It was from here that the sociopolitical hierarchy of Chuuk was established and from where Sowukachaw's descendants eventually spread throughout Weno and other parts of the state. Weno is therefore of special significance to the Chuukese and is regarded as their ancestral homeland. Today, Wunuunganata, now known as Nantaku, is the center of Chuuk's administrative activities and is where the Chuuk State Government complex and other important facilities are located.
Etymology Weno was known as Moen for much of its colonial history. The name comes from the west coast district of Mwan, which was of high-ranking status when Moen first came into use in the early 19th century. French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville may have been responsible for the initial mix-up, especially considering that he once mapped the island as "Iros" (or Iras, another historically significant district on Weno).
During the Japanese occupation, in 1918, Weno was given the name Harushima (春島), meaning "Spring Island." This was part of a systematic renaming process meant to Japanize Micronesia, resulting in Chuuk's islands being named after plants, birds, and the days of the week, among other things. Weno belonged to a group of islands called Shiki-shotō (四季諸島), which translates to "Four Seasons Islands."
Weno is the indigenous name of the island, first appearing on maps as "Wola" or "Uola." It is derived from the Proto-Micronesian *tokolau (meaning "northerly" or "from the north"), which is closely related to the Fijian word tokalau (meaning "northeast wind"). Thus, the name appears to have originally functioned as a geographic descriptor of the island's location in the northeastern part of Chuuk Lagoon.
Weno was officially reclaimed as the island's name on October 24, 1989, when the Chuuk State Constitution was approved by referendum. One of the main points of the conference was to change place names throughout the state, including those of nearly all the islands, so that they reflected the native Chuukese language and pronunciation. In this same proposal, Truk was changed to Chuuk, Dublon to Tonoas (Tonowas), and so on.
History Prehistory Oral tradition holds that Weno's first settlers came from Kosrae, arriving sometime in the 14th century. Archaeological evidence on the island appears to support this, with extensive human settlement beginning around 1305 AD, although unburned logs excavated in Iras have been dated to as early as 565 BC.
European contact Spanish explorer Álvaro de Saavedra was possibly the first European to spot Chuuk when he encountered a group of islands at roughly 7°N in 1528, but it remains unclear exactly what islands these were. The first confirmed sighting took place a few decades later on January 17, 1565, when fellow Spaniard Alonso de Arellano sailed into the lagoon aboard the San Lucas. His visit was brief, however, and neither he nor his crew stepped foot on any of the islands.
The earliest recorded landing on Weno took place much later in October 1844, when Scottish trader Andrew Cheyne entered the lagoon in search of bêche-de-mer. Cheyne and his crew had set up curing sheds on a beach before a major conflict erupted with the locals, leading to the popularization of the term "Dreaded Hogoleu." Although he did not specify which island this was, historians believe that the "Hogoleu" he wrote about was, indeed, Weno.
Colonial era
Spanish rule (1885–1899)
Weno was placed under Spanish rule on December 17, 1885, when the Carolines Question was settled between Spain and Germany. Spain ultimately visited the lagoon on only three occasions, however, and any impact they had on the local population proved ephemeral. This era was instead dominated by people from outside of Spain, such as ABCFM missionary Robert Logan. Logan arrived on Weno a year earlier in October 1884, becoming the first American missionary in Chuuk Lagoon. Foreign traders also began to establish themselves on Weno during this time, most notably Mori Koben in 1892.
German rule (1899–1914) Weno became part of the German Empire on October 12, 1899, with a flag-raising ceremony held on Pohnpei. Shortly afterward, seven traders residing on Weno were deported as part of Germany's efforts to confiscate firearms and ammunition from the region. This was not so much to ensure public safety, however, but more so to pave the way for the administration's copra operations; six to seven thousand palms were planted on Weno as a result. Attempts were also made to bring Catholicism to the island, but the locals remained particularly resistant even after the Japanese took over in 1914.
Japanese rule (1914–1945)
Weno was annexed by Japan on October 12, 1914, when the Kurama (鞍馬) and a cruiser escort sailed into the lagoon virtually unimpeded. Governance was initially afforded to the Provisional South Seas Defense Force, then to the South Seas Agency beginning in 1922. Locals were subject to extreme Japanization during this period, especially in the form of public school education. As author Mark Peattie writes, schools like Haru-jima kōgakkō (春島公学校) served "as a means to insure the obedient and loyal acquiescence of Micronesian peoples," and thus were made compulsory for all children.
During World War II, most of Weno was claimed by the Japanese for farmland or military use. This included a large airfield constructed in Iras in 1942, followed by a combined airfield and seaplane base in Neiwe (Neauo) between 1943 and 1944. Many local Chuukese were forced to work on these projects, and entire villages had no choice but to relocate to other parts of the island. They were also denied access to their own crops, leading to widespread starvation and death. Only in rare cases were friendly relations established with the Japanese, such as in the account of Katin Nikkichiinnap. Nevertheless, the wartime conditions on Weno are often described as the worst in the lagoon.
Conditions among the Japanese forces were equally severe, if not worse. When the Allies finally landed on Weno in September 1945, it was found that bugs and worms had so ravaged their sweet potato crop that all the troops were suffering from malnutrition. As the U.S. Naval inspection party later described:Rank upon rank of living scarecrows lined up along the route ... men with ankles as thin as skinny wrists, with sunken cheeks, and with every rib showing sharply.In total, 7,886 Japanese were left on Weno at the time of surrender—down from a reported 8,993 at the war's peak. Postwar era
Formal Japanese surrender of Chuuk took place aboard the USS Portland on September 2, 1945. The U.S. military moved onto Weno shortly afterward, setting up their headquarters in Mechitiw and raising the American flag on November 25. Full administrative control was granted to the United States two years later on July 18, 1947, when the Caroline, Mariana, and Marshall archipelagos were incorporated as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI). Weno served as one of six district centers in the TTPI, the others being Chalan Kanoa, Saipan; Koror, Palau; Colonia, Yap; Kolonia, Pohnpei; and Majuro, Marshall Islands.
Weno was chosen as the administrative center in Chuuk for several reasons, despite most of Japan's military activity having taken place on nearby Tonoas. The decision was primarily driven by Brigadier General Robert Blake, who urged that Weno's north airfield be repaired and that all installations and activities be concentrated on the island. Tonoas, meanwhile, was still in Japanese hands "for the purpose of administration, control, and demobilization," with some 30,000 troops awaiting trial or repatriation. Furthermore, the facilities on Tonoas had suffered extensive damage from Allied bombings, and U.S. leadership reportedly did not want to associate itself with anything that could be interpreted "as a memorial of Japanese rule."
Independence
On May 10, 1979, the Federated States of Micronesia, comprising Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, adopted its constitution to become a new self-governing nation. The FSM subsequently entered a Compact of Free Association with the United States on November 3, 1986, and was accepted as a member of the United Nations on September 17, 1991. Weno, with its existing infrastructure and growing population, naturally became the capital of Chuuk State.
The current government complex on Weno is located in Nantaku, at the base of Mount Tonnachau. Completed in January 2019, the complex covers of land and features an administration building, legislative building, conference room, equipment room, and guard room. It was designed by Liaoning Provincial Building Design and Research Institute and built by Yanjian Group, both based in China. Funding was provided by a grant commitment of RMB 76 million ($11.09 million).
Geography Weno lies at coordinates in the Nomoneas region of Chuuk Lagoon. It is approximately southeast of Guam and covers a total land area of , making it the second largest island in the state. Immediately north of Weno is the small island of Fono, and immediately south of Weno are the islands of Tonoas and Fefen.
The island's terrain is generally mountainous, forcing most of its population to live along the coast. Some areas are relatively flat, however, either due to reclaimed land or the extensive infrastructure built during World War II. The highest point on Weno is Mount Teroken at . Other notable peaks on the island include Mount Witipwon (896 ft), Mount Chukuwen (774 ft), and Mount Tonnachau (748 ft).
Geology
Weno, as well as the other islands in Chuuk Lagoon, is the remnant of a large shield volcano, having stretched some from the seafloor to the surface. Fossilized foraminifera found in limestone fragments within the central crater date back to the Early Miocene, indicating the volcano grew to sea level around this time. Large amounts of pyroclastic rock were released into the air, and lava flows emerged from an underground network of fissure vents. Eventually, the volcano was heavily eroded, experienced a final round of nepheline lava eruptions, and subsided, allowing the surrounding barrier reef to grow and form the modern lagoon.
Lava flows make up 90 to 95% of Weno's volcanic sequence. They are compact and columnar-jointed, averaging between in thickness, and are exposed for over a mile in some places. The predominant rock type is olivine basalt, comprising about 60% of lavas. Large amounts can be found along the jungle-covered slopes of Mount Winifourer, lying beneath a thick sequence of nonporphyritic and slightly porphyritic andesite flows. Nonporphyritic andesite is also common, particularly on the south slope of Mount Witipwon, where it is overlain by a layer of sodic trachyte measuring over thick.
The remaining 5 to 10% of the volcanic sequence is made up of pyroclastic deposits, primarily unstratified breccias and conglomerates. The thickest deposits can be found in the north and central parts of the island; for instance, cobble and boulder conglomerate on the northeast slope of Mount Tonnachau measures thick and pinches out laterally to the east and south. Breccia is generally more thoroughly indurated, however, and reaches up to thick in the Wichen River valley. Fine tuffaceous material is estimated to make up 20 to 50% of these beds, while the remaining coarse fragments consist of basalts, andesites, and trachytes.
Climate