Yap is located in the Western Pacific about 536 miles southwest of Guam and 282 miles northeast of Palau.  Yap is made up of the main islands of Yap and 134 outer islands and atolls.
The average temperature is 80°F (27°C) and the water is generally the same temperature as the air.  The rainy season is from July to December with only a few more inches of rain than during the dry season.

It is believed that Yap was first settled by seafaring people traveling from what is now Indonesia and the Philippines.  The islands were first inhabited around 176 AD; However, it wasn't until around 1525 when Portuguese explorers were looking for a route to the Spice Islands that the islands were exposed to foreigners.  Since then, the islands have been claimed by the Spanish, Germans, Japanese and Americans.  Yap became one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia is 1986.  The FSM currently gets financial and other forms of aid from the US government as part of a Compact of Free Association.

Much of the traditional way of life is still practiced today. Walking through a village can feel like taking a step back in time, especially when you encounter a group of children playing in thus (loin clothes) and grass skirts.  Yap has managed to keep its culture alive.