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Where is, and who lives in
Yap?
Yap, or Waab the traditional
name, is located in the north west Pacific, 840 km south west of
Guam and 1,940 km east-south-east of Manila in the Philippines.
Yap and Yap state locality map
Yap State is one of four states (western most state) of the
independent nation, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the
other three being, Chuuk (formerly Truk), Pohnpei and Kosrae. Yap
State consists of four high volcanic islands, Marbaa, Rumung, Maap
and Gagil/Tomil (referred to as the main island of Yap) and
several outer islands and atolls.
The four islands of Yap, showing the
extent of the reef flat surround the islands
The total land area of the main island of Yap is about 95 km2 with
the highest elevation being 174 metres above sea level. The
population of Yap State is about 11,200, immediately after World
War II it was estimated to be 2,400, and before western contact
(c. 1530s) the population was estimated to be from 27,000 to
40,000. The inhabitants of the main island of Yap have their own
distinct language that is very different to other parts of Yap
State and the FSM, and archaeological evidence suggests they have
occupied the island for about 3,500 years.
The main island of Yap is divided
into 134 village communities which are ranked into nine classes
under three paramount chiefs from Gagil , Tomil, and Rull. While
there are complexities, variations and alliances that influence
the ranking of many villages, what this established was a system
of high class and low class villages, ie. lower class villagers
that served the higher class Yapese, and higher class villages
that supported lower class villagers.
Portuguese then Spanish explorers in the early 1500s were the
first foreigners to sight Yap and Spain asserted territorial
claims over all of Micronesia in 1885. Yap, like the other parts
of Micronesia has had a succession of colonial rulers after Spain:
Germany from 1898, Japan from 1914, and the USA from 1945 until
independence in 1986.
Yap is probably most famous for its circular stone money which was
quarried in Palau and transported to Yap (c. 450 km) to be used
for a range of social and political transactions. The history of a
particular stone provided it with its value, not just the size,
which could vary from a few cm to 3-4 metres in diameter. Canoe
making, navigation and traditional dancing are some of the other
customs and practices that make Yap a special place and the Yapese
very interesting and friendly people.
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