Kuop or Neoch is an atoll in the state of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia.[1] Its area of 0.5 km2 is uninhabited.

Kuop is located in Pacific Ocean
Kuop
Kuop
Location of Kuop Atoll in the Pacific Ocean
Kuop Atoll from space. Courtesy NASA.

Geography edit

The atoll is 21.5 km in length with a maximum width of 8 km and is located only 3 km to the south of Chuuk atoll's southernmost point.

Islands edit

There are 2 small islands and two islets with a total area of 0.5 km2 on its reef.[2] Givry, also known as Feneppi, the largest island, is located at the northern end of the atoll. Kuop is uninhabited; administratively it belongs to Uman municipality.

History edit

Kuop was believed to have been discovered by Spanish navigator Alonso de Arellano in 1565.

At the time of World War II during Operation Hailstone on February 4, 1944, the Japanese destroyer Tachikaze ran aground on Kuop Atoll's reef and later sank.[3]

As a desert island, Kuop is officially the largest marine protected area in Micronesia and continues to be right up to the present day.

References edit

  1. ^ Statoids.com, retrieved December 8, 2010
  2. ^ "Oceandots - Kuop". Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ WWII history in Truk Lagoon Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine

External links edit

7°03′32″N 151°55′09″E / 7.05889°N 151.91917°E / 7.05889; 151.91917