Yap


 * media type="facebooklike" key="http%3A%2F%2Fpcep.wikispaces.com%2FYap" width="270" height="48" align="right"Mogeth****in**, Welcome to the Yap Community Page

**Origin of the People of Yap Island** //from the Yap Visitors Bureau// Legend has it that prior to a great flood over 2000 years ago, five supernatural beings or spirits “surfaced” from a water well in the Ngolog Village on Yap. These five spirits became the first inhabitants of Yap. One day the spirit named Gusney left his companions on a journey to find new lands. He sailed in a canoe using only his hands, the wind and the currents of the ocean. After many months, Gusney came upon a human family from Indonesia. He sent them to Yap to let the other spirits know of his whereabouts. That human family made Yap their home with the other spirits on island. These were the ancestors of the Yapese people.

However, one should note that Yap is not the traditional name of the island. Stories told by elders describe the time the first foreign ship came to Yap around the early 1600’s. When the ship dropped its anchor, a canoe of local warriors from the island sailed out to greet the ship. Using sign language, the warriors indicated that they wanted the captain to come ashore for discussions. As the Captain boarded the warrior's canoe, he pointed towards the shore and asked the name of the island. Thinking that the Captain was pointing at a canoe paddle held by a navigator sitting in the bow, the warriors responded “Yap.” The name was then recorded by the Captain as the name of the island. To this day the islands of Wa'ab are known to the outside world as Yap, which actually means ‘canoe paddle.’

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=Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia=  **Languages**: Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Satawalese, English  **Indigenous Ethnicities**: Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Satawalese
 * //Wa'ab//**
 * Capital**: Colonia
 * Population**: 11,647 (2006)
 * Land Area**: 100.2 sq km (38.7 sq mi)
 * Greetings**: //Mogethin//

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=Environment=
 * **Island Research and Education Initiative (IREI)** (FSM): http://www.islandresearch.org/
 * **Land Grant at the College of Micronesia**: http://www.comfsm.fm/vpcre/
 * **Micronesia Conservation Trust**: http://www.ourmicronesia.org/
 * **The Nature Conservancy** (FSM): http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/micronesia/index.htm
 * **Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific** (Guam, CNMI, FSM): http://www.weriguam.org/

=Climate & Climate Impacts= FSM has two seasons -- a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October. The region sees very little seasonal variation in temperature, with only a 3 degree Fahrenheit difference between the average hottest and coolest months. The climate in FSM depends on three phenomena: the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the West Pacific Monsoon, and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Climate varies from year to year due to ENSO, the a natural fluctuation between El Nino and La Nina that occurs across the tropical Pacific and affects weather globally. El Nino brings more rainfall during wet seasons and even less rainfall during dry seasons. La Nina brings above average rainfall during dry seasons. The West Pacific Monsoon is caused by large differences in temperature bwetween the land and the ocean. It tens to affects Chuuk and Yap more than Pohnpei and Kosrae, bringing more rain to east FSM during El Nino and less rain in a more western position during La Nina. The movement of the ITCZ -- a band of heavy rainfall caused by air rising over warm water over the equator -- affects rainfall in FSM. Wet season occurs when the ITCZ moves north closer to FSM. The ITCZ also results in less rainfall during El Nino and more during La Nina.

Data shows that __temperatures have increased__ in Pohnpei since 1952 (about 0.19 degrees Fahrenheit per decade), consistent with the global pattern of warming. There is also a __clear decreasing trend in annual and wet season rainfall__ since 1950; however, there is no clear trend in dry season patterns. Satellite data indicates the __sea level has risen__ in FSM by over 0.39 inches per year since 1993; although this higher rate of rise may be partially related to natural fluctuations caused by ENSO. Finally, __ocean acidification increasing__. Data shows that since the 18th century, the level of ocean acidification has been slowly increasing in FSM waters.

Scientists are expecting that __annual average air and sea surface temperatures will continue to increase__ by up to 1.8-1.9 degrees Fahrenheit. That means more very hot days and a decline in cooler weather. __Rainfall patterns will continue to change__ -- while global climate models are not showing consistent results, scientists are expecting __less frequent droughts__ and __more extreme rainfall days more often__. It is likely that there will also be a __decrease in the proportion of intense storms__. And while there will likely be __fewer typhoons__, the __maximum wind speed of typhoons will increase__ by 2-11% and __rainfall intensity in typhoons will increase__ by about 20% within 100 km of typhoon centers. __Sea level will continue to rise__ by 1.2-5.9 inches by 2030, causing additional storm surges and coastal flooding. Finally, the __acidity of sea water will continue to increase__, further impacting the health of reef ecosystems.

Learn more about Climate & Climate Impacts in FSM:
 * "//Adapting to a Changing Climate//" (2011) by MCT: http://www.cakex.org/virtual-library/3439
 * "//Climate Change in the Pacific//" Regional Overview, Country Reports, Brochures, and Posters by the Pacific Climate Change Science Program: http://www.cawcr.gov.au/projects/PCCSP/publications.html
 * **Pacific Climate Change Portal** (SPREP): http://www.pacificclimatechange.net/
 * **Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme** (FSM): http://www.sprep.org/pacc-home

Back to the Top =History & Way of Life= > //Teacher Resource on Selected Cultural Topics//
 * **Teach ReSPCT**: http://www.prel.org/teams/teach-ReSPCT.asp
 * **Ulithi on Pacific Worlds**: @http://www.pacificworlds.com/yap/index.cfm

=Education=
 * Education demographics from PCEP: @http://pcep.dsp.wested.org/content_items/389071
 * **Yap State Department of Education**
 * **National Department of Education, Federated States of Micronesia**: http://www.fsmed.fm/
 * **College of Micronesia**: http://www.comfsm.fm/

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=Photo Gallery= Want to know how to add photos to this gallery? Please see the Photo Gallery Tutorial. Back to the Top
 * [[image:canoe-Yap.jpg width="360" height="239" caption="Yap canoe; courtesy of the Yap Traditional Navigation Society" link="@http://yapnavigation.com/"]] || [[image:yap.jpg width="352" height="232" caption="Stone Money; courtesy of ctsnow" link="@http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctsnow/138568779/in/photostream/"]] ||

=Tell Your Climate Story= You can share a story about how climate change is affecting your community in two ways

Add a Story using Facebook
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Or Create a New Wiki Page with Pictures and Links

 * 1) Create a new wiki page
 * 2) Give it a title that includes your name
 * 3) Tag your page as //Yap story//.
 * 4) Tell us your story (you can even include pictures and links!)

Your new page will appear in the list of Yap Climate Stories here. include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" tag="Yap story" limit="10" Back to the Top