Photos of Outer Islands of Yap State, Micronesia

The Outer Islands of Yap state are serviced by a regular ship, bringing supplies and collecting copra, produced by the islanders from the many coconuts growing on it. The islands are still very traditional, and permission to visit had to be obtained. The population on all these outer islands varies, depending on people leaving for work or returning for celebrations.

Fais is a raised coral island, around 87 kilometres east of Ulithi and 260 kilometres northeast of Yap. It is about 2.5 kilometres long and 1 kilometre wide and now has an airstrip.

Sorol is a coral atoll of nine islands, approximately 220 kilometres south of Ulithi and 295 kilometres southeast of Yap. The largest of these islands, Sorol, in the eastern side of the atoll, is inhabited.

Eauripik is a coral atoll of three islands, around 630 kilometres southeast of Yap. Eauripik island, the largest (500 metres long) on the eastern side of the atoll, has very traditional homes; It has a population of around 100. The language spoken here is the same as that spoken on Woleai, 115 kilometres to the northeast.

Faraulep Atoll has three islands around a deep lagoon, about 700 kilometres east of Yap. The easternmost island, Faraulep (Fachailep) is the largest (about 700 by 300 metres) with the main village. The island on the north side of the atoll, Piig, is also inhabited. The total population of the atoll would be around 200. The language spoken here is also Woleaian.