“Stone Money” on This Pacific Island is History’s First Public Ledger

Yap, Micronesia, also known as the Island of Stone Money, is a 40 square-mile island just 500 miles southwest of Guam in the Southern Pacific Ocean. It rests 9.5 degrees north of the equator which makes the year-long summers unbearably hot (for outsiders). Typical rain patterns have been altered over the last few years due to evolving effects of climate change and el Niño/la Niña weather patterns. Mostly kept hidden away from the few tourists that do come are beautiful stone paths that serve as intra-village walk ways. These stone paths extend deep into the taro patches and tropical jungles…....