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62-663: Western Islands may refer to the: Various parts of the Caroline Islands Pattiw Western areas in the Caroline Islands region, being Yap , Palau , and from 1907 Saipan . Faichuk , Caroline Islands , Micronesia Western Islands (Amsterdam) Western Islands (Ontario) in Georgian Bay , Ontario, Canada Western Islands, Singapore , West Region, Singapore Western Islands, Papua New Guinea , in
124-641: A century later (between 1788 and 1799), would come to call the Gilbert Islands and the Marshall Islands (Spaniards today call the Caroline islands Islas de las Hermanas , Hombres Pintados , and Los Jardines ). A Spanish royal decree, issued on 19 October 1707, authorized Spanish missionaries to make several expeditions to the Caroline Islands. However, in 1731, one such missionary, Juan Antonio Cantova,
186-577: A common coral reef and are separated by relatively small water features. Gagil-Tamil and Yap Proper were once linked, but in 1901 a narrow canal called the Tagireeng Canal was built to cut the two landmasses apart. Yap was formed from an uplift of the Philippine Sea Plate , and is referred to as a "high" island as opposed to atolls . The land is mostly rolling hills, with densely vegetated valleys and savanna interiors. Mangrove swamps line much of
248-594: A common understanding that a stone has a new owner. The Micronesian navigator Mau Piailug (1932–2010) was originally from the Carolinian island of Satawal . He learned the traditional navigation techniques of the Weriyeng school, which had been preserved after other traditional techniques had been forgotten (due partly to the remoteness of the Carolinian Islands). In the 1970s, Mau shared his knowledge with members of
310-678: A prison for those captured during the Philippine Revolution . After their defeat by the United States in 1898, and subsequent loss of the Philippines, Spain sold Yap and its other minor Pacific possessions to Germany . Yap was a major German naval communications center before the First World War and an important international hub for cable telegraphy, with spokes branching out to Guam , Shanghai, Rabaul , Nauru and Manado (on
372-614: A prohibition against violent conflict. The caste ranking of each village in modern Yap thus remains the same as it was when the system was frozen in place by the Germans. The first recorded sighting of Yap by Europeans came during the Spanish expedition of Álvaro de Saavedra in 1528. Its sighting was also recorded by the Spanish expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos on 26 January 1543, who charted them as "The Reefs" ( Los Arrecifes ). At Yap,
434-700: A variety of languages, including: the Micronesian languages of Pohnpeian , Chuukese , Carolinian , and Kosraean ; the Western Malayo-Polynesian languages of Palauan and Chamorro ; and the unclassified language Yapese (possibly one of the Admiralty Islands languages ). There are also a significant number of inhabitants who belong to non-indigenous ethnic groups and speak other languages, including Filipinos and Japanese . The lingua franca used for trade and commerce among islanders who do not speak
496-601: Is based on a highly complex "caste system" involving at least seven tiers of rank. Historically, the caste rank of an entire village could rise or fall in comparison to other villages depending on how it fared in inter-village conflicts. Winning villages would rise in rank as a part of a peace settlement, while losing villages would have to accept a decline in comparative rank. In many cases lower ranked villages were required to pay tribute to higher ranked villages. Further, dietary taboos might be imposed on lower ranking villages, e.g., they might be prohibited from harvesting and eating
558-563: Is based on both the stone's size and its history. Historically the Yapese valued the disks because the material looks like quartz , and these were the shiniest objects available. Eventually the stones became legal tender and were even mandatory in some payments. The value of the stones was kept high due to the difficulty and hazards involved in obtaining them. To quarry the stones, Yapese adventurers had to sail to distant islands and deal with local inhabitants who were sometimes hostile. Once quarried,
620-627: Is fixed. The islanders know who owns which piece but do not necessarily move them when ownership changes. Their size and weight (the largest ones require 20 adult men to carry) make them very difficult to move around. Although today the United States dollar is the currency used for everyday transactions in Yap, the stone disks are still used for more traditional or ceremonial exchange. The stone disks may change ownership during marriages, transfers of land title, or as compensation for damages suffered by an aggrieved party. There are four other types of currency on
682-728: Is included in the report that the Augustinian Fray Jerónimo de Santisteban wrote for the Viceroy of New Spain while in Cochin during his voyage home. Yap also appeared in Spanish charts as "The Chickpeas" ( Los Garbanzos ) and "Great Caroline " ( Gran Carolina ). From the 17th century until 1899, Yap was a Spanish colony within the Captaincy General of the Philippines of the Spanish East Indies . The Spanish used Yap as
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#1732843976520744-422: Is money made of large shells about eight inches wide, pierced and tied on a coconut rope. Finally, " Reng " is the name of money made of turmeric , which is ground and mixed with water and the paste shaped into a ball, typically used for tribal ceremonies. There are three types of traditional buildings on Yap. The " tabinaw " is a family house and has a roof made of woven thatch (dried palm fronds). Inside, there
806-466: Is mostly domestic as most facilities cannot handle large aircraft. Caroline Islands Air is a chartered and the only domestic airline. Palau and Yap are the only places outside the Philippines where Callicarpa micrantha is native. Campnosperma brevipetiolatum was first named and classified by the German botanist Georg Volkens while carrying out research on Yap. He described the species in 1901 in
868-552: Is necessary to obtain permission before entering. There are a few men's houses that women are allowed to enter; however, people must always ask for permission. The Yapese and Neighboring Island Yapese were some of the most renowned navigators in the Pacific. Yapese sailors traveled phenomenal distances in outrigger canoes, without the aid of a compass, navigating by the stars and the patterns of ocean waves using techniques of Micronesian and Polynesian navigation . During pre-colonial times,
930-400: Is one open room with no lavatory. Kitchens are separate structures ( t'ang ) outside the family houses. The " faluw " is the "men's house"; such buildings were built on the shoreline with easy access to the sea. Prior to World War I, women had been kidnapped and taken to the faluw . Today this practice no longer occurs. Women considered it an honor to be chosen for the faluw , because only
992-455: The Americas . His suggestion was ignored at first, but, in 1885, a Spanish government representative called Butron signed an agreement with the tribal chiefs of Koror and Artingal establishing Spanish sovereignty over the Caroline Islands. At that point, Spain attempted to impose customs duties on commercial exchanges in the region. However, Spain's previous abandonment of the islands had allowed
1054-766: The Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean , a part of Yap State . The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micronesia , inclusive of the Yap Main Islands and its various outer islands, the Yap Neighboring Islands. For specifying the island group, the name Yap Main Islands is most exact. Yap is made up of four separate islands: Yap Proper ( Marbaaq ), Gagil-Tamil ( Marfach ), Maap ( Yapese : Maap' ), and Rumung. The four islands are encircled by
1116-546: The Moluccas (by way of Celebes ). They ended up reaching several of the Caroline islands and staying there for several months, until 20 January 1526. Soon after, on 22 August 1526, the Spanish explorers Toribio Alonso de Salazar and Diego de Saavedra arrived in the area and recorded sighting the Island of San Bartolomé ( Taongui ). About 8 months later, on 1 January 1528, the explorer Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón claimed possession of
1178-610: The Polynesian Voyaging Society . This led to a revival of the practices of traditional Polynesian navigation techniques, and provided anthropologists with a greater understanding of the history of the Polynesian and Micronesian peoples . In 1985, a study was published that examined the origin of the sidereal compass used in the Caroline Islands. Different islands in the Carolines have passed down different legends about
1240-627: The Spanish East Indies and were governed from Manila in the Philippines . The Carolines are scattered across a distance of approximately 3,540 kilometres (1,910 nmi), from the westernmost island, Tobi , in Palau, to the easternmost island, Kosrae , a state of the FSM . The group consists of about 500 small coral islands , east of the Philippines , in the Pacific Ocean. The distance from Yap (one of
1302-585: The Villalobos expedition received the same surprising greeting as previously in Fais Island from the local people approaching the ships in canoes, crossing themselves and calling out " Buenos días Matelotes! " ("Hello, sailors!"), which they took for Spanish but more probably reflected the missionary efforts of António Galvão , governor of the Portuguese East Indies . The original account of this story
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#17328439765201364-522: The Western Caroline islands (Yap and Palau [and from 1907 Saipan]) In the Eastern Caroline islands ( Ponape , and including the Marshall Islands from 1911) Two Jesuits , Juan Antonio Cantova (also known as John Anthony Cantova) and Victor Walter, attempted missionary work there in 1731; the former was soon murdered and the latter obliged to flee. Two other Jesuits were killed later. In 1767,
1426-624: The Bismarck Archipelago Western Islands (Maryland) in the Kedges Straits, Somerset County, Maryland , United States Outer Hebrides , Scotland, United Kingdom Azores , Western Islands of Portugal Western Islands (publisher) , the publishing arm of the John Birch Society [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with
1488-584: The Capuchin Father Callistus as its director. The station was able to identify that the East-Asiatic typhoons were originating in the Carolines. The station still makes weather observations twice a day, and sends advance notice of severe weather to Manila. During the period of German control, Germany issued postage stamps for the islands. Transportation within the islands is either by boat or air (if in close proximity of an airfield). Air travel
1550-408: The Carolines ) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean , to the north of New Guinea . Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the central and eastern parts of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end. Historically, this area was also called Nuevas Filipinas or New Philippines , because they were part of
1612-591: The Carolines, and three subspecies on the Marianas. Three of the four species in the genus Ponapea are endemic to the Caroline Islands. For a further list of flora found in the Carolines, see Flora of the Caroline Islands The island of Kosrae has fifteen species of land snails endemic to the island. Yap Yap ( Yapese : Waqab , sometimes written as Wa'ab , Waab or Waqaab ) traditionally refers to an island group located in
1674-429: The Island. First there is " Mmbul " which is a length of lava-lava , the cloth used for loincloths , three or four feet long and two feet wide, wrapped up in a Betel nut sheath. Then there is " Gau " or " Gaw ", a necklace of shells , up to 10 feet in length. The shells come from Canet, an island near Ponape , from Ponape itself and from Euripik . Since these come from a distance, Gau is worth more than Mmbul. " Yar "
1736-604: The Jesuits were suppressed in the Spanish dominions, and for the next 120 years there was no trace of a missionary in the islands. After the 1886 dispute between Germany and Spain over possession of the Carolines was settled by Pope Leo XIII in favour of Spain, the king of Spain directed Spanish Capuchins to go to the islands. The royal order was issued on 15 March 1886, and the Propaganda Fide officially established that mission on 15 May 1886, dividing it into two sections, named
1798-464: The Pelew Islands, 200 miles to the south, and must have been brought by native vessels or on rafts; later they were transferred on European vessels. The stones, which are rather tokens than money, do not circulate, but are piled up round about the chief's treasure-house, and appear to be regarded as public property. Some may not have been seen for some years, but the transfer of wealth is facilitated by
1860-637: The Saudeleur dynasty ended when another foreigner, called Isokelekel , invaded the islands, overthrew the Saudeleurs, and instituted the more decentralized nahnmwarki (tribal chief) system (which was maintained even during the later Colonial period, and still exists today). The first contact that European explorers had with the Caroline islands was in 1525, when a summer storm carried the Portuguese navigators Diogo da Rocha and Gomes de Sequeira eastward from
1922-609: The Ulithi Islands on behalf of the king of Spain . He named them the Islands of the Kings ( Spanish : Islas de los Reyes ; French : Îles des Rois ) after his patron and the Three Wise Men honored in the approaching Catholic feast of Epiphany . Spanish explorers visited the archipelago again in 1542 (Matelotes Islands), 1543, and 1545. In 1565, the islands were briefly visited by
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1984-629: The West Caroline's and the East Carolines. Until that time, the islands had belonged ecclesiastically to the Vicariate Apostolic of Micronesia . The Spanish Capuchins caused a catechism and prayer book to be printed in the Ponape language, and Father Anthony of Valentia wrote a small grammar and dictionary of the Yap language in 1890. In 1899, after the Spanish priests had laid the foundations of
2046-413: The Yapese for other commodities such as sea cucumbers and copra . The 1954 film His Majesty O'Keefe cast Burt Lancaster in the captain's role. Although some of the O'Keefe stones are larger than the canoe-transported stones, they are less valuable than the earlier stones due to the comparative ease with which they were obtained. Since no more disks are being produced or imported, this money supply
2108-439: The article 'Die Vegetation der Karolinen, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der von Yap' in the periodical Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie (Leipzig). Crinum bakeri is endemic to the Caroline and Marshall Islands, and was first described by Karl Moritz Schumann in 1887. Psychotria hombroniana is endemic to the Caroline and Mariana Islands, with five subspecies being found on
2170-456: The disks had to be transported back to Yap on rafts towed behind sail-driven canoes. The scarcity of the disks, and the effort and peril required to get them, made them valuable to the Yapese. In 1874, Irish American sea captain David O'Keefe hit upon the idea of employing the Yapese to import more "money" in the form of shiploads of large stones, also from Palau. O'Keefe then traded these stones with
2232-470: The establishment of German and British missions on the islands, and Germany and the United Kingdom disputed Spain's right to collect customs revenue . The European powers called on Pope Leo XIII to arbitrate this dispute. He decided that Spain would have these rights on the islands west of the 164th meridian east , and Germany would have these rights on the Marshall Islands . (He also assigned Germany
2294-454: The first governor-general of the Philippines , Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (in office from 1565 to 1572). Europeans did not visit the island again until 1686, when Francisco de Lezcano arrived in Yap. He called the islands Las Carolinas , in honor of Charles II of Spain . This name was later extended to include the Palau Islands and the archipelagos that British explorers, visiting them
2356-502: The indigenous people adhere to the traditional belief in a supreme being called "Yalafar" and an evil spirit called "Can." For the most part, however, they do not engage in traditional religious rites. The inhabitants of Yap are noted for possessing an unusual currency. Besides the ordinary shell money , there is a sort of stone coinage, consisting of huge calcite or limestone discs or wheels from 6 inches to 12 feet in diameter, and weighing up to nearly 5 tons. These are all quarried in
2418-429: The islands bypassed in the U.S. island-hopping strategy, although it was regularly bombed by U.S. ships and aircraft, and Yap-based Japanese bombers did some damage in return. The Japanese garrison comprised 4,423 Imperial Japanese Army soldiers under the command of Colonel Daihachi Itō and 1,494 Imperial Japanese Navy sailors. At the end of World War II, Yap was occupied by the U.S. Military. The U.S. held it and
2480-428: The islands). According to Pohnpeian legend: the Saudeleur rulers originally came from beyond the islands; they were the first to bring government to Pohnpei; they imposed absolute, centralized rule on the islanders, which became increasingly oppressive over the centuries; and their arbitrary and onerous demands, along with their offenses against Pohnpeian deities, sowed resentment among Pohnpeians . Legend has it that
2542-535: The larger Caroline islands) to Manila is 1,200 mi (1,900 km). Most of the islands are made up of low, flat coral atolls , but there are some that rise high above sea level. Some of the individual islands which make up the Carolines include - Yap , Truk (Chuuk), Pohnpei , Kosrae , Palau , Takatik , Satawal , Kapingamarangi , Nukuoro , Fairchuk , Namonuito , Hall Island , Nomoi Islands , Weno , Rumung , Maap , Kanifay , Ngulu , Nett , Pingelap , and Lelu . The indigenous inhabitants speak
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2604-704: The latter years of that war, during the Japanese withdrawal to the Japanese home islands, the Allies effectively neutralized Truk in Operation Hailstone . After the war, the islands (together with the Marshall Islands) became trust territories of the United States . The Federated States of Micronesia gained independence in 1986, followed by Palau in 1994. District officers (from 1889, styled Bezirksamtleute ): In
2666-648: The mission's fortunes suffered. In response, the Propaganda Fide decided on 7 November 1904 to replace the Spanish Capuchins with German missionaries, and on 18 December 1905 to erect a single Apostolic prefecture in place of the two separate missions. The Very Reverend Father Venantius of Prechtal , Germany, was appointed first prefect Apostolic at that time. In 1906, 24 missionaries (12 Fathers and 12 Brothers) were working in thirteen stations, and several Sisters of St. Francis left Luxembourg to take charge of
2728-404: The mission, the islands passed by purchase into the hands of Germany. Spain had contributed more than $ 5000 a year towards the mission, but Germany contributed no support. Spain had compelled the indigenous people to send their children to school; Germany allowed people to choose to send their children or not. As a result, many people stopped attending church and sending their children to school, and
2790-422: The more desirable fish and animals of the sea. Further, within each village each family had its own rank comparative to the others. Until the arrival of the German colonizers, the caste ranking system was fluid and the ranks of villages and families changed in response to inter-village intrigues and confrontations. In the early twentieth century, however, the German colonial administration pacified Yap and enforced
2852-403: The most beautiful women would be taken there. Such a woman was called the " mispil " (resident female) of the faluw . As the island's culture was more and more influenced by the rest of the world's views on prostitution, this practice ended. Largest of the three types is the " p'ebay ", a place for the community to come together for school, dances or meetings. As with all structures on Yap, it
2914-564: The north tip of Celebes ). It was occupied by Japanese troops in September 1914, and passed to the Japanese Empire under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 as a mandated territory under League of Nations supervision. U.S. commercial rights on the island were secured by a special U.S.-Japanese treaty to that effect, concluded on 11 February 1922. In World War II , Japanese -held Yap was one of
2976-711: The origins and early histories of their peoples. For example, on Pohnpei , the islanders describe their history before colonial times as divided into three eras: the Mwehin Kawa or Mwehin Aramas (era of building or peopling, before 1100); the Mwehin Sau Deleur (era of the reigns of the Saudeleur , from 1100 to around 1628); and the Mwehin Nahnmwarki (era of the tribal chiefs, from around 1628 to 1885, when Spain colonized
3038-637: The outer islands of Chuuk . English is used as a common language. The Yapese people 's indigenous cultures and traditions are stronger compared to those of other states in Micronesia . Yap is known for its stone money , known as Rai, or Fei: large doughnut -shaped, carved disks of (usually) calcite , up to 4 m (13 ft) in diameter (most are much smaller). The smallest can be as little as 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) in diameter. Many of them were brought from other islands, as far as New Guinea , but most came in ancient times from Palau . Their value
3100-522: The people of Yap established an island empire and dominion over what are now the Neighboring Islands of Yap State. Beginning in the 19th century, Yap was colonized by the Spanish, Germans, and Japanese in succession. The double-hulled voyaging canoe Alingano Maisu , gifted by the Polynesian Voyaging Society to master navigator Mau Piailug , is home-ported on the island of Yap under the command of Piailug's son, Sesario Sewralur. Yapese society
3162-606: The rest of the Caroline Islands as a trusteeship, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands , under a United Nations mandate until 1986. In that year, Yap, Truk , Pohnpei , and Kosrae formed the independent nation of the Federated States of Micronesia. Under a Compact of Free Association with the United States, Micronesian citizens and goods are allowed entry into the U.S. with few restrictions. American Peace Corps
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#17328439765203224-666: The right to establish a coal mine in the area. Germany governed the archipelago as the Karolinen , and administratively associated it with German New Guinea . The islands were a popular resort for whaling ships in the 19th century. The first such vessel known to have visited was the London whaler Britannia , which called at Ngatik in December 1793. Such vessels—from Britain, the United States, Australia and elsewhere—came for water, wood, and food and, sometimes, for men willing to serve as crewmen on
3286-644: The right to maintain a naval station in one of the Caroline Islands, but Germany never exercised that right.) After the Spanish–American War of 1898, Spain sold the Carolines and the Northern Marianas to the German Empire in the German–Spanish Treaty (1899) for 25 million pesetas (the equivalent of 17 million goldmarks or nearly one million pounds sterling ), while reserving to itself
3348-448: The same language is English. The indigenous people of these islands live mainly on horticultural products, fish, many different varieties of bananas, and taro (either the "swamp" or the "purple" variety). On some islands, housing is still built using local materials such as coconut-palm thatch. As a result of missionary work over the centuries, Christianity is the religion most commonly practiced in this region of Micronesia . Many of
3410-489: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_Islands&oldid=1101313945 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or
3472-410: The shore, although there are beaches on the northern and western sides of the islands. Excluding the reef area, the Yap Main Islands are approximately 24 km long, 5–10 km wide, and 98 km . The highest elevation is 178 m (584 ft) at Mount Taabiywol in Fanif municipality on Yap Proper. Administratively, the Yap Main Islands are divided into ten municipalities that sometimes cross
3534-408: The squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Matsumura Tatsuo (1868–1932); while the Eastern Carolines were controlled by Vice-Admiral Yamaya Tanin (1866–1940). In 1920, after World War I, Japan received a League of Nations mandate to control the Caroline and Marshall Islands. During World War II , Japan operated a large base at Truk Lagoon which it used for expansion into the southeastern Pacific. In
3596-412: The ten primary schools, in which a total of 262 children were enrolled. The missionaries boasted 90 adult converts that year, and reported that there were 1900 Catholics, a few Protestants, and 11,600 inhabitants who had not converted to Christianity. On 1 July 1905, the United States sent a Jesuit from the Manila Observatory to the island of Yap to erect a meteorological station there, and appointed
3658-454: The vessels. These ships stimulated commerce and were significant vectors for change (both good and ill). The islands most commonly visited were Kosrae , Mokil , Ngatik , Pingelap and Pohnpei . Japan invaded and occupied the islands in 1914 during World War I , as part of their campaign to take and occupy German colonial possessions . They installed two naval squadrons as part of this occupation. The Western Carolines were controlled by
3720-405: The water features that divide Yap into its constituent islands. The climate type of Yap Island belongs to the typical tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen : Af ), with high temperature and rainy weather throughout the year, and the most humid time of the year is from June to October. The Yapese language belongs to the Austronesian languages , more specifically to the Oceanic languages . Yap
3782-415: Was initially settled by ancient migrants from the Malay Peninsula, the Indonesian Archipelago, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The people of the Yap State outer islands are descendants of Micronesian settlers , and as such have significant ethnic dissimilarities from the people of the Yap Main Islands. Their culture and languages ( Ulithian , Woleaian , and Satawalese ) are closely related to those of
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#17328439765203844-401: Was killed. As a result, Spain ceased relations with the Caroline Islands. When they resumed relations in 1787, their emphasis was on trade and commerce. In 1852, a Spanish colonel named Coello suggested to the Spanish government that effective Spanish occupation of the Caroline Islands would help the Spanish engage in trade and commerce with the Philippines , Australia , New Guinea , and
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