What can you do in Yap?

Next month, I have plans to go to Guam and Yap, two islands in the Pacific Ocean. Guam is well-known as a tourist destination and an alternative to the much more expensive Hawaii. But I had never really heard of Yap before my friend suggested it to me, so I had to do some research.

First, to prevent some confusion: Micronesia is a large region of Oceania with thousands of islands, but it can also refer to the country known as the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Yap is one of the four island states of the FSM. It’s not the biggest island, but it’s famous for giant stone currency that was used hundreds of years ago. These days they use the US dollar, but the enormous “coins” remain scattered around the island. Yap also has excellent marine sports, especially snorkeling and scuba diving.

The history of Micronesia is fairly complicated. Many islands in the region were controlled by the Spanish for a long time, but they eventually sold or traded them to Germany in the early 1900s. The islands changed hands again during World War I, when the Japanese took over, and once again after World War II, when the US took control via the United Nations. The FSM finally ratified their own constitution in 1979, although they maintain a very close relationship with the United States.

Most of this information is easily available online. However, it’s surprisingly difficult to find detailed information about the native peoples of the islands, so I’m interested in learning more when I visit in person.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Obon!