Caroline Islands

The Caroline Islands

The Caroline Islands are a beautiful group of small islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. They are located north of New Guinea and are split between two countries. Most of the islands belong to the Federated States of Micronesia, while the far western part belongs to Palau.

These islands stretch across a very long distance of about 3,540 kilometers (2,200 miles). The farthest west island is Tobi in Palau, and the farthest east is Kosrae, one of the states of the Federated States of Micronesia. Long ago, these islands were called Nuevas Filipinas or New Philippines. This name came from when they were part of the Spanish East Indies and ruled from Manila in the Philippines.

The Caroline Islands are made up of about 500 small coral islands. Most of these islands are low and flat coral atolls, but a few stand higher above the water. Some of the islands in this group include Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Babeldaob, Satawal, Kapingamarangi, Nukuoro, Faichuk, Namonuito, Hall Island, Nomoi Islands, Weno, Rumung, Maap, Kanifay, Ngulu, Nett, Pingelap, and Lelu.

The people who live in the Caroline Islands speak many different languages. Some of these languages include Pohnpeian, Chuukese, Carolinian, Kosraean, Palauan, Chamorro, and Yapese. There are also people from other places, such as Filipinos and Japanese, living there. English is used for trading and talking with people who speak different languages.

These islanders grow food like fruits, fish, bananas, and taro to eat. On some islands, houses are made from things found nearby, like coconut-palm leaves. Most people there believe in Christianity.

A skilled navigator named Mau Piailug came from the island of Satawal. He learned special ways to find directions using the stars. In the 1970s, he taught these skills to others.