Kosrae Constitution Day in Micronesia Date in the current year: January 11, 2024

The state of Kosrae occupies the main island of the same name and several smaller islands in the Caroline Islands Archipelago. The first European to sight the island of Kosrae was the Spanish navigator Alvar de Saavedra in 1529. Spain claimed sovereignty over the island in 1668, but Europeans first set foot on it only in 1824.

Spain took effective control of the island in 1885, but mere four years later the Caroline Islands were sold to Germany. During the First World War, the archipelago (including Kosrae) was occupied by Japan. Japanese sovereignty over the islands ended with Japan’s defeat in World War II. After the war, the Caroline Islands were administered by the United States as a trust territory.

In 1977, Kosrae, Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei formed the Federated States of Micronesia. After the constitution of the newly independent state was adopted, each state began the development of its own constitution that would regulate its internal matters (in compliance with the federal constitution, of course).

The Constitution of Kosrae came into effect on January 11, 1984, exactly one year after the first meeting of the Kosrae State Constitutional Convention. It consists of a preamble (introduction) and sixteen articles:

1. Supremacy (defines the constitution as the supreme law of the state)
2. The Community and the Individual
3. Suffrage
4. The Legislature
5. The Executive
6. The Judiciary
7. Recall and Impeachment
8. Municipal Government
9. Taxation and Revenue Sharing
10. Finance
11. Land and the Environment
12. Education and Health
13. Language
14. Oath of Office
15. Amendment
16. Transition

Since the adoption of the Constitution of Kosrae, it has been amended four times: to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, to prohibit the disposal of recognized harmful pollutants, to define the term “resident” in order to establish qualifications for state posts, and to specify some nuances regarding the position of Lt. Governor.

Constitution Day is an official holiday in the state of Kosrae. It is a day off for government agencies, banks, and schools.