The Micronesian peoples can be divided into two cultural groups, the
high-islanders and the
low-islanders. The Palauans, Chamorros, Yapese, Chuukese, Pohnpeians, Kosraeans, Nauruans and Banabans belong to the high-islander group. The inhabitants of the low islands (
atolls) are the Marshallese and the Kiribati, whose culture is distinct from the high-islanders. Low-islanders had better navigation and canoe technology, as a means of survival. High-islanders had access to reliable and abundant resources and did not need to travel much outside of their islands. High islands also possessed larger populations.
Banaban people Raobeia Ken Sigrah claims that Banabans, native to
Banaba, are ethnically distinct from other I-Kiribati. The Banabans were assimilated through
forced migrations and the heavy impact of the discovery of
phosphate in 1900. After 1945, the British authorities relocated most of the population to
Rabi Island,
Fiji, with subsequent waves of emigration in 1977, and from 1981 to 1983. Some Banabans subsequently returned, following the end of mining in 1979; approximately 300 were living on the island in 2001. The population of Banaba in the 2010 census was 295. There is an estimated 6,000 people of Banaban descent in Fiji and other countries. The Banabans spoke the
Banaban language, which has gone extinct due to a shift to the Gilbertese language, introduced by Christian missionaries that translated the Bible into Gilbertese and encouraged the Banabans to read it. Today, only a few words remain of the original Banaban language.
Refaluwasch people The Refaluwasch people are a
Micronesian ethnic group who originated in Oceania, in the
Caroline Islands, with a total population of over 8,500 people in
northern Mariana. They are also known as
Remathau in the Yap's outer islands. The
Carolinian word means "People of the Deep Sea." It is thought that their ancestors may have originally immigrated from
Asia,
Indonesia,
Melanesia and to
Micronesia around 2,000 years ago. Their primary language is
Carolinian, called
Refaluwasch by native speakers, which has a total of about 5,700 speakers. The
Refaluwasch have a
matriarchal society in which respect is a very important factor in their daily lives, especially toward the
matriarchs. Most
Refaluwasch are of the
Roman Catholic faith. The immigration of
Refaluwasch to
Saipan began in the early 19th century, after the
Spanish reduced the local population of
Chamorro natives to just 3,700. They began to
immigrate mostly sailing from small
canoes from other islands, which a
typhoon previously devastated. The
Refaluwasch have a much darker complexion than the native
Chamorros.
Chamorro people The
Chamorro people are the
indigenous peoples of the
Mariana Islands, which are politically divided between the
United States territory of
Guam and the United States
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. The Chamorro are commonly believed to have come from
Southeast Asia at around 2000
BC. They are most closely related to other
Austronesian natives to the west in the
Philippines and
Taiwan, as well as the
Carolines to the south. The
Chamorro language is included in the
Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the
Austronesian family. Because Guam was colonized by Spain for over 300 years, many words derive from the
Spanish language. The traditional Chamorro number system was replaced by Spanish numbers.
Chuukese people ), 1900s The
Chuukese people are an
ethnic group of
Chuuk State. They constitute 48% of the population of the
Federated States of Micronesia. Their language is
Chuukese. The home atoll of
Chuuk is also known by the former name "Truk". In Chuukese culture, the men were expected to defend and protect their family. They were very protective of their clan, lineage identity and property. Backing down from a fight is not seen as manly. The origin of the Nauruan people has not yet been finally determined. It can possibly be explained by the last Malayo-Pacific
human migration (). It was probably seafaring or shipwrecked
Polynesians or
Melanesians that established themselves in Nauru because there was not already an
indigenous people present, whereas the Micronesians were already crossed with the Melanesians in this area.
Palauan people The Palauans or Belauans (
Palauan:
Belau,
ngukokl a Belau) — are the indigenous people of
Palau. They numbered around 26,600 as of 2013. Palauans are not noted for being great long-distance voyagers and navigators when compared to other Micronesian peoples. The taro is the center of their farming practices, although breadfruit has a symbolic importance.
Sonsorolese people The Sonsorolese are Micronesian people, that inhabit the islands of
Pulo Anna,
Merir and
Sonsorol in the island nation of
Palau. A small proportion live in both the
Northern Mariana Islands and the
Federated States of Micronesia. The Sonsorolese are linguistically related to the Tobians. Most Sonsorolese live in the village of
Echang near
Koror, where they moved for economic reasons. The Sonsorolese are both linguistically and culturally most closely related to Carolinians. Ethnographic information about them was left by
Jose Somera, a member of the
Don Francisco Padilla expedition who discovered the islands in 1710. According to him, their clothing consisted of an apron, cloak and conical hat, and was similar to that described by Paul Klein in 1696 among the Carolinians.
Tobian people The Tobians share a cultural heritage that shows close ties with peoples of the central
Caroline Islands, more than 1000 km to the northeast and on the other side of Palau.
Tobian is a
Micronesian language spoken in the
Hatohobei (Tobi) and
Koror states in
Palau by about 150 people. In particular it is spoken on the island of Tobi (Torovei) in Hatohobei State, and also on Koro Island in Koror State. Tobian is also known as
Hatohobei or Tobi. It is closely related to
Sonsorolese.
Yapese people The
Yapese people are a Micronesian ethnic group that number around 15,000. They are native to the main island of
Yap and speak the
Yapese language. ==Languages==