ph ery ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁P ohn pe i ▁and ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁cer emon ial ▁and ▁political ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁Sau de leur ▁dynast y ▁that ▁un ited ▁P ohn pe i ' s ▁estimated ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁from ▁about ▁AD ▁ 5 0 0 ▁until ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁when ▁the ▁central ized ▁system ▁col lapsed . ▁ ▁European ▁expl or ers — first ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁the ▁Sp ice ▁Islands ▁( Ind ones ia ) ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁Spanish — re ached ▁the ▁Carol ines ▁in ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁incorpor ated ▁the ▁arch ip el ago ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁East ▁Ind ies ▁through ▁the ▁capital , ▁Man ila , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁established ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁out posts ▁and ▁miss ions . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁they ▁founded ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Santiago ▁de ▁la ▁As c ension ▁in ▁what ▁today ▁is ▁Kol onia ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁P ohn pe i . ▁ ▁Following ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish – American ▁War , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁sold ▁the ▁arch ip el ago ▁to ▁Germany ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁under ▁the ▁German – Span ish ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁Germany ▁incorpor ated ▁it ▁into ▁German ▁New ▁Guinea . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁it ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁Japan . ▁Following ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁League ▁of ▁Nations ▁awarded ▁a ▁mand ate ▁for