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49-561: Yapese may refer to: Yap , one of the Caroline islands in Micronesia Yap State , a state containing the island and surrounding islets Yapese Empire , an ancient maritime empire located in the western Caroline Islands in the north Pacific region of Micronesia Yapese people , the native inhabitants of the island Yapese language , their language Topics referred to by
98-840: A Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under a UN mandate received in 1947. The state was once the Yap District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. On May 10, 1979, Yap ratified the Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia and became an integral part of this new nation with official independence on November 3, 1986. Yap State is the westernmost state of the Micronesian Federation. Further eastwards in order are
147-491: A 4,000-unit resort on the island. Businesses that contribute to the state's tourism share of state GDP are Manta Ray Resort and Spa, ESA, and Yap Pacific Dive Resort. The largest retail businesses in the State are Yap Cooperative Association (YCA) General Store, Guang Mao Enterprises, Yap Savemore Enterprises and EMI Enterprises. These businesses contribute primarily to the State's retail and wholesale sectors. The State also has
196-537: 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 the shore, although there are beaches on the northern and western sides of
245-707: 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
294-629: 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,
343-460: A rock that could not be extracted on the island, its value derived from the dangers taken on expeditions to obtain it, mainly from Palau . The Portuguese were the first Westerners to visit the island in 1525 when the navigator Diogo da Rocha arrived in Ulithi and stayed there for four months. The Caroline Islands were under Spanish rule from the 16th century under Johannes von Yaplett until
392-551: A small but essential financial sector that supports the population's investment and capital needs, local small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs), the government and state institutions, and the academic sector. It has five financial services institutions: the Bank of Guam (BOG), the Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia (BFSM), Community Ayuw Services Credit Union, Western Union, and the FSM Development Bank. The State
441-601: 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
490-476: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Yap Yap ( Yapese : Waqab , sometimes written as Wa'ab , Waab or Waqaab ) traditionally refers to an island group located in 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
539-471: Is divided into 21 municipalities , with each municipality having several village units incorporated through customs and historically set boundary lines. Each municipality can be placed in one of five main island groupings: Rumung, Maap, Gagil-Tamil, Marbaa' and the Neighboring Islands. The first four groupings are part of Yap Proper. These municipalities are listed with their populations at
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#1732771889687588-630: 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
637-765: 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
686-401: 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 is based on both
735-422: 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
784-557: 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,
833-426: Is now current-day Yap State and some parts of Chuuk State were the historical Yapese Empire , which at its peak, controlled 1,300 km of the western Pacific comprising all the inhabited islands and atolls between Yap and Chuuk . The rulers of the chiefdom of Gagil in Yap maintained sovereignty of these islands to the east and extracted resources and tribute, maintaining close economic and political relationships with
882-598: Is now expected to be one of the fastest-growing economies in the country as technological innovation is highly encouraged. Although the FSM communications industry is largely monopolized by the state-operated FSM Telecommunications Corporation based in Pohnpei, Yap saw the rise of the tech startup company iBoom when the company is expected to utilise the National Government's Digital FSM Project 2017 grant funding from
931-400: 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
980-531: Is unique because it consists of four government branches, each serving a specific function for policymaking. The Executive Branch consists of the Governor as well as the Lieutenant Governor, along with the members of the government departments affiliated with the branch. The Executive Branch is responsible for executing laws and administering government services. The Yap State Legislature makes up
1029-774: 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 a common coral reef and are separated by relatively small water features. Gagil-Tamil and Yap Proper were once linked, but in 1901
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#17327718896871078-661: The Legislative Branch , responsible for creating, debating, and passing bills for the Executive Branch to approve into law and enforce. The Yap State Court makes up the Judicial Branch , responsible for ensuring laws passed do not violate the state and national constitutions. The unique traditional branch vests its power into two groups of Yapanese chiefs. The group of Yap Main Island chiefs is known as
1127-555: The United States , Japan , Palau and the Philippines . According to the 2018 International Religious Freedom Report compiled by the United States Department of State , an estimated 80% of the state population is Catholic , and the remainder is Protestant . Religious affiliation tends to follow clan lines. A majority of foreign citizens in the FSM and the state is made up of Filipino Catholics. Yap State
1176-607: 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
1225-665: The municipalities of Yap State was 11,577 in 2020. The state has a total land area of 102 km (39 sq mi). The islands are thought to have been populated from the Malay Archipelago . In approximately 950 AD, it was the seat of the Yapese Empire , contemporary to the Tu'i Tonga Empire . The outer islands, now part of the Yap state, were settled from Polynesia . The island nation formerly used rai stones as currency. Since this stone money had to be made from
1274-489: The 2010 Census: Not included: Pikelot . Yap State is one of the four federal states of the Federated States of Micronesia. As a democratic federation , each state can retain a large amount of power within the state as well as a certain level of sovereignty typical of federal states. As such, the State adheres to the FSM National and Yap State constitutions to develop policies and regulations. The State Government
1323-671: The 2010 Labor Market Statistics data compiled by the FSM Statistics Office, 67% of the total state population is in the labor force, the highest percentage of people in the labor force in the entire nation. Most of those in the labor force are in formal work, while the rest are in home production, including subsistence. Yap has a relatively small tourism industry, with the Yap Visitors Bureau reporting only 4,000 annual visitors from 2010 to 2017. China's Exhibition & Travel Group has announced plans to develop
1372-827: The Carolines, the Palau Islands, and the majority of the Marianas to the German Empire. At the start of the First World War , in 1914, the Empire of Japan occupied the area. This occupation was formally recognized within the framework of the Mandate of the Pacific Islands created in 1919 by the League of Nations . The Caroline Islands came under the control of the United States in 1944, which administered them as
1421-479: The Council of Pilung, and the group of Yapanese outer island chiefs is known as the Council of Tamol. The two councils make sure whether proposed bills do not violate local traditional customs and regulate cultural issues. Information about some state government leaders and administrative staff is included below. The GDP per capita in 2018 was US$ 4,510, while the total GDP in 2018 was US$ 52 million. According to
1470-477: The FSM Statistics Division, the 2020 population of Yap State is 11,577. The state has the third-largest population among the states in the FSM, with Chuuk and Pohnpei leading in this order. The population of the state consists mainly of the local Yapanese, Ulithians, Woleaians and Satawalese people; however, the state has been seeing a rise in the number of foreign citizens from countries such as
1519-429: 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 "
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1568-683: 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 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
1617-466: 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
1666-594: The different island groups. After losing its influence and becoming incorporated territories of Spain , the German Empire , the Japanese Empire , and the United States through the UN -mandated Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI), Yap and the islands and atolls between Yap and Chuuk formed Yap State upon the founding of the FSM. According to the FSM Statistics Office, the population of Colonia and
1715-460: 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
1764-468: The end of the 19th century. Still, most of the communities on the islands of the present state of Yap had little contact with Europeans and lived in complete independence. In 1885 , following a conflict between Spain and Germany, the arbitration of Pope Leo XIII confirmed possession to Spain against commercial advantages for Germany . On June 30, 1899, after the Spanish–American War , Spain sold
1813-429: 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
1862-496: 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 the water features that divide Yap into its constituent islands. The climate type of Yap Island belongs to
1911-475: 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
1960-403: 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
2009-516: 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
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2058-538: 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
2107-626: 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
2156-409: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Yapese . 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=Yapese&oldid=1192840360 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2205-770: The states of Chuuk , Pohnpei , and Kosrae . It consists of the four main islands of Rumung, Maap, Gagil-Tamil, and Yap Proper (Marbaa') and 134 smaller islands southwest and east of Yap. The state stretches from the Yap main islands towards the east to Chuuk for 1,200 to 1,500 kilometers (750 to 930 mi; 650 to 810 nmi). The Yapanese Main Islands are located approximately 800 kilometers (500 mi; 430 nmi) southwest of Guam , 3,200 kilometers (2,000 mi; 1,700 nmi) from Tokyo , 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi; 1,100 nmi) from Manila , and 8,000 kilometers (5,000 mi; 4,300 nmi) from Honolulu . Yap State has five official languages: English , Ulithian , Woleaian , Satawalese and Yapese . According to
2254-497: 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,
2303-662: 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 was initially settled by ancient migrants from the Malay Peninsula, the Indonesian Archipelago, New Guinea, and
2352-414: The westernmost portion of the country. The state borders Palau to the southwest, Guam to the north, and Chuuk State to the east. According to the state's population census carried out in 2020, the total population is 11,577 residing across a total area of 119.54 sq km (46.15 sq mi), though a large majority of the area is water. The only town area in the state, Colonia, serves as the state capital. What
2401-423: Was active in Yap from 1966 to 2018. Other U.S.-based non-profit organizations, including Habele , have an ongoing presence on both Yap proper and its outer islands, aimed at reducing educational disparities and inequalities in access to effective classroom instruction. Yap State Yap State ( Yapese : Wa'ab or Waqab ) is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , located in
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