What Is The History Of Yap?

Yap is known for its stone money, known as Rai, or Fei: large doughnut-shaped, carved disks of (usually) calcite, up to 4 m (12 ft) in diameter (most are much smaller). The smallest can be as little as 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) in diameter.

Where did the people of Yap get their money?

But hundreds of years ago, explorers from Yap found limestone deposits on an island hundreds of miles away. And they carved this limestone into huge stone discs, which they brought back across the sea on their small bamboo boats. It’s unclear if these stones started as money.

What does the country of Yap use for money?

The Yap islands group is part of Micronesia and has a very peculiar currency: stone. Stone money known as “Rai” are large stone disks, sometimes measuring up to 4 meters, with a hole in the middle that was used for carrying them. It was and still is used as a trading currency there.

What language is spoken in Yap?

Learn about this topic in these articles:

people of Yap Island speak Yapese, a language only distantly related to the other languages of the area (which are known as Nuclear Micronesian languages).

Can US citizens live in Micronesia?

U.S. citizens may enter the FSM to live, work, or study indefinitely without visas or non-citizen registration requirements per the Compact of Free Association between the Unites States and the FSM. … There is no departure fee for U.S. officials traveling on official or diplomatic passports.

Do they usually use the stones as money?

Although modern currency has replaced the stones as everyday currency, the rai stones are still exchanged in traditional ways between the Yapese. They are a national symbol and are depicted on local license plates.

Is Yap part of the United States?

Seized by Japan in 1915, Yap became a U.S. protectorate after World War II and gained independence in 1986, as part of the Federated States of Micronesia. Since then, the U.S. has provided subsidies that account for 70% of public spending on Yap.

What is the giant stone coin?

Strange as it may seem, bitcoin has a kind of bizarro historical analogue in an ancient currency system dating back hundreds of years: giant stone disks called rai, which were used long ago as a symbolic form of money on the Micronesian island of Yap.

What island are giant limestone discs used as currency?

The Micronesian island of Yap has a famously unusual currency: hundreds of giant discs of rocks scattered all over the island, many of them too heavy to move.

Who found Yap?

The arrival of settlers may have occurred as far back as two-three thousand B.C. 1525 On October 1, the Portuguese explorer Dioga Da Rocha arrives in the islands of Yap, probably Ulithi, and stays for four months.

What race is Chuukese?

The Chuukese, previously spelled Trukese, are an Austronesian-speaking ethnic group indigenous to the island of Chuuk and its surrounding islands and atolls. They constitute almost 49% of the population of the Federated States of Micronesia, making them by far the largest ethnic group in the country.

Where does the name Yap come from?

The Yap surname was originally a nickname surname for a clever or cunning person. It is derived from the Middle English word “yap,” meaning devious, and the Old English “geap,” meaning “open” or “wide.”

How do you say hello in Yap?

Saying hi – “Mogethin” is the standard greeting, it has a little pronunciation spin on it that will take some getting used to, “Moe – gah – theen”, but that’s your basic Yap vocabulary friend making starter kit.

Who owns Micronesia?

Following World War II, the islands of what is now the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) became part of the United Nations strategic trust territory, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the administrative control of the United States.

Is Micronesia safe?

Is there any Crime in Micronesia? There is a relatively low incidence of serious crime in Micronesia, however, there are regular reports of petty crimes against travelers in Chuuk, Yak and Pohnpei, including break-ins and non-violent theft.

Are Rai stones fiat money?

Because Rai is made from limestone it is a mix between fiat money and commodity money. … One valuable stone was lost at sea during a storm but it was still used as money even after many years when nobody alive had ever seen the stone.

What countries are part of Micronesia?

Micronesia

  • Guam.
  • Kiribati.
  • Marshall Islands.
  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • Nauru.
  • Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Palau.
  • United States Minor Outlying Islands.

How long can an American stay in Micronesia?

Micronesia signed a mutual visa-waiver agreement with the European Union on 20 September 2016. This agreement allows all citizens of states that are contracting parties to the Schengen Agreement to stay without a visa for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

How expensive is Micronesia?

A vacation to Micronesia for one week usually costs around $1,577 for one person. So, a trip to Micronesia for two people costs around $3,154 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs $6,308 in Micronesia.

What is hello in Yapese language?

English. Yapese. Welcome. Hello (General greeting) Mogethin.


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