Chuuk State – Island culture of the great Chuuk Lagoon
Chuuk's story begins with Austronesian seafarers, believed to come from the Lapita culture of Island Melanesia. Archaeological evidence shows settlements on Feefen and Weno as early as the second and first centuries BCE, and from the 14th century onward Chuukese culture took shape across the islands of the lagoon.
Europeans first recorded the islands in 1528, when the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Saavedra sighted them. Later, as part of the Caroline Islands, Chuuk was claimed by Spain, but control remained largely nominal and traditional life continued. Today Chuuk is the most populous state of the Federated States of Micronesia, and most people live around the lagoon. Do you know old stories of navigation or island life? Share them with the community.