The relief of Micronesia. Report: Micronesia and Polynesia
- State in 607 islands in the western part Pacific Ocean. Former name - Caroline Islands.
The name of the country comes from an ancient Greek "Micros" and "Nesos", which means "small" and "island", in the meaning of "micro-island".
Official name: Federated States Micronesia (FSM)
Capital - Palikir.
Area - 702 km2.
Population - 130 thousand people
Administrative division - The state is divided into 4 states: Truk, Kostorae, Ponap, Yap.
Form of government - Republic.
Head of State - The president.
Official language - English (Official and Inter-Ethnic Communication), 8 Local Languages: Japan, Volraiai, Suite and Sonorol, Karolinsky, Truk, Kosjae, Nukoro and Kapingamaranga.
Religion - 50% - Catholics, 47% - Protestants, 3% - Others ..
Ethnic composition - 41% - Chukeyans, 26% - Poncays, 7 Dr. ethnic groups - 33% ..
Currency - US dollar \u003d 100 cents.
Internet domain : .fm.
Voltage in the electrical stroke : ~ 120 V, 60 Hz
Country Code: +691
Description of the country
Micronesia means "small islands", and it absolutely accurately reflects the essence of this country. Despite the fact that the islands are firmly tied to the economic and political interests of the United States, Micronesia persistently goes in its traditional path - this is a country where people are affected by vague bandages, and stone coins are still walking like a payment agent. Micronesians are very proud of their past, especially since they have full law - their ancestors on the duck canoe crossed the Pacific Ocean long before the release of Europeans into these waters.
The islands have one of the world's best conditions for diving, snorkeling and surfing, and are considered as potential international Center for beach holidays and water species Sports. Water around the islands are saturated with many forms of exciting marine life. there is a large number of species of solid and soft corals, anemones, sponges, fish, dolphins and mollusks, including a giant mollusk Thidakna. Large herds of whales take place every year through these waters. Several varieties of the sea turtle laying eggs on these shores, and the islanders are allowed to use and turtle meat and eggs for food. Islands are also famous for more than 200 varieties of seabirds.
Climate
The climate of Micronesia is equatorial, more wet in the east of the archipelago, where the zone of cyclones passes. Conditionally distinguished two seasons: Dry (January - March) and wet (April - December). From November to December, northeastern trade winds dominate, the rest of the year is the southwestern monsoon winds, bringing abundant precipitation. On Poipei, an average of 300 rainy days a year. Average annual precipitation 3000-4000 mm. Seasonal air temperature fluctuations are insignificant, average monthly temperatures 24-30 ° C. The length of the day the day is the same throughout the year. Part of the Pacific Ocean, where Micronesia is located, is the area of \u200b\u200bthe origin of typhoons (there is an average of up to 25 typhoons per year). Typhoon season - from August to December.
Geography
The Federated States of Micronesia are an island country in the western part of Oceania and the Pacific. Borders in the West with Palau Islands, in the north - with Mariani, and in the east - Marshall Islands. It takes most of the Caroline Islands (with the exception of Palau). Outside the main island arc are numerous atolls that are part of the country. Micronesia consists of 607 islands, the largest of which are Pone (342 square meters. Km), Kosyae (Kusaya, 111 sq. Km), Chuha (126 sq. Km), Yap (118 square meters). The total area of \u200b\u200bthe islands is 720.6 square meters. km, and water area - 2.6 million square meters. km.
The most highities are about. Pone (S. highest point - NGineni Mountain, 779 m), and about. Kosrae (Mount Finkol, 619 m). On about. Jap is dominated by rounded hills; O-Va Kosrapa, Chuch and Pone - volcanic origin. Most of the islands are low atolls on coral reefs. The most extensive marine lagoon is Chuch (surrounded by 80 small islands).
Flora and fauna
Volcanic and coral islands differ in the nature of vegetation. On the coast of volcanic islands - mangrove thickets, coconut palms, bamboo. Coconut palms dominate on the coral islands.
Animal world is represented by volatile mice, rats, crocodiles, snakes, lizards are found. Diverse the world of feathered. Yap, unlike other "high" islands, non-tank origin, it covers the hills and meadows. Water coral reefs and lagoon are rich in fish and marine beast.
Banks and currency
US dollar (USD) equal to 100 cents. In the circulation there are bills worth 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars. As well as coins: Penny (1 cent), Nickel (5 cents), Daim (10 cents), Quarter (25 cents), Half dollar (50 cents) and 1 dollar. The dollar is the official currency of the country, so there is no point in importing anything else. American dollar tourist checks are accepted almost everywhere, and the biggest hotels, restaurants and shops take them as cash. There are no commercial banks on the pipe (Chuch), nor on the drier, so make sure the availability of a sufficient number of cash before leaving these islands. Credit cards are widely accepted on Ponepea and are increasingly used on the pipe and the pit.
Micronesia and Polynesia.
Micronesia
In Micronesia (Greek. Melkoostrovye) includes the archipelagoes of Volkano, Bonin, Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis and Islands Nauru and Oshchen. As the name shows, all these islands are small; The largest GUAM (Mariana Islands) has an area of \u200b\u200b583 km2 Western archipelagoes of Micronesia from Volkano to Western Caroline Islands are located in the belt of geosynclinal structures of the Pacific DNA and are vertices of volcanoes rising from a folded underwater ridge. The terrace of the ocean in Western Micronesia is extremely disseminated. It is here that along the eastern outskirts of Mariana Island Arc lies one of the deepest in the world of Wpadin Mariana (the greatest depth of 11034 m). The tectonic activity of the earth's crust is very bright. There are frequent and strong earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The islands have mountainous relief (height from 400 to 1000 m), framed by abrasive terraces and coral reefs. Some of them, isolated only with limestone, have a very hard-hard and crushed surface. Islands of Eastern Micronesia Coral. They are crowned with volcanic vertices of the Pacific Ocean platform and rarely rise above the water by more than 1.5-2.5 m. Many of them have the form of typical atolls. The islands lie in latitudes from Equatorial to subtropical, but under the influence of the warm current of the Kuro-Sivo, the climate of the northern islands is as hot and wet as southern. The greatest amount of precipitation (from 1500 mm to 2000 mm) falls on the eastern slopes of the mountainous islands, visited in relation to the Northeast Passyats. In the natural condition, the slopes covered thick wet evergreen rainforests From Ark Palm (Pandanus SPP.), Bread Tree (Artocarpus SPP.), Polynesian Iron Tree (Casuarina EquisiFolla). These forests are not only the sings decreased by area, but also changed the cutting of valuable rocks. The weathered slopes of the islands occupy cereal savannahs, in all likelihood secondary. At the atolls of the eastern part of Micronesia, coconut palm trees dominate, and the inner lags are framed by mangrove thickets.
Polynesia
Polynesia (Greek. Multiostrovier) combines the islands lying in the general east of 180 meridian, between 30 ° C. sh. and 30 ° sh. : Hawaiian, Atoll and Reef Islands Line (Sporads), Coral Archipelagoes Phoenix and Tokelau, Samoa volcanic archipelago with existing volcanoes, a two-row chain of volcanic (Western row) and coral (Oriental row) islands of Tonga, Cook Islands, tubuia, society with volcanic island Tahiti, 76 atolls Tuamot, or Russians, Marquis and, finally, the secluded Island Island is connected with the tops of basalt volcanoes, mostly decapitated weathering and abrasion, fully or partially blocked by reef limestones. Coral Islands Ocean Product, Mad Paren corals and limestone algae. Atolls have the shape of a rings from low reefs from 2 to 150 km in diameter. Rings are solid or open and surround inland shallow lagows. A strong surf destroys the outer edge of the coral shores; Waves pounce fragments on the edges of the atolls, where the outer crest grows, cemented by seawater salts. With strong winds, the chip material is transferred to the depths of the atoll and lies the lagoon. The organic world is represented by rhymatized plants and animals not only sushi, but also the sea, and in some cases it is difficult to establish where the ocean biotop ends and the sushi biotope begins. At the outer edge of the atoll, on reefs and beaches, there are many marine organisms carrying short-term stay In the air, seaweed, single-celled animals of foraminifera with limestone skeleton, sponges, sea hedgehogs and starfishes, remaining in deep puddles, some dotters, burning in sand, crabs and shrimps. Outside the ridge of the atoll, on low-power carbonate soils there appears land vegetation, carrying soiling soils and a large salt content in the air thickets of evergreen xerophytic shrubs, forests from coconut palm trees, pandanuses, banana thickets and grain trees. Apparently, this vegetation is largely anthropogenic origin, in the natural state of flora of the islands is limited to very few types of shrub and tree species. At the atolls, it is possible to observe the Great Law of Nature, according to which living beings, originating in the ocean, subsequently moved to land. In coconut groves and forests dwells the crab palm thief living in sandy badges. He climbs on palm trees, powerful ticks the tight shell of nuts and feeds them to the flesh, this crab has long adapted to a land lifestyle, but still goes into the sea for a period of reproduction.
Another, an even more vivid example of a fishing fish, living in muddy waters among mangrove thickets, encircling the inner lagows of the atolls. With the help of strong fins, it climbs on tree trunks and spends on air to the air, hunting insects. Mangrove forests indispensable framing Lagun. In or soil, the bottom with the manung lives some sea algae, and the roots of mangroves are tired of limestone algae. Almost all types of polynesia landscapes are represented on the largest Hawaiian Islands archipelago, elongated at 2500 km. They note the highest peaks of the underwater Hawaiian ridge longer than 6,500 km long and focused in its southern third, the most raised. Hawaiian archipelago consists of 24 islands with a total area of \u200b\u200b16700 km2, of which 16273 km2 fall on the island of Hawaii (10399 km2 and the islands of Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokan and Lanai. Hawaii Island form five spontaneous volcanoes from which Mauna Kea (4170 m] And Kilauea (1247 m) continue to actively act. Other volcanoes, including the highest top In Polynesia Mauna Kea (4210 m), extinct. The island volcanoes have retained the closet of the slopes characteristic of the shield cones, on Mauna-Loa and Kilauea there are huge flat craters with the lakes of the fountaining lava, which during eruptions overflowing across the edges of the craters and rushes down the slopes at high speed, burning everything alive on its path. On other major islands, volcanic activities stopped at the beginning of the Quaternary period, and the primary forms of volcanoes were transformed by erosion and denudation to a strongly crossed mountain relief. On the small islands The attenuation of volcanism occurred at the end of the neogen and long weatherariness and abrasion destroyed the volcanoes almost entirely. The central link of the archipelago form small rocky vertices and reefs (them, non-kick, Gardner, etc.), North-Western coral atols and reefs. Most of the islands are stretched in a tropical climate belt and is under the continuous impact of the Northeastern Passops. Abundant orographic rains moisturize the highlighted slopes of the mountainous islands (up to 4000 mm at an altitude of about 2000 m, and on the island of Kauai, more than 12500 mm of precipitation falls per year, almost as much as in Cherrypundy, in India). On the leeward slopes, many precipitation falls only at large altitudes, the rest of the dry areas (no more than 700 mm of precipitation per year) and hot; Tropical heat exacerbate on the slopes of hair dryers. Wet wind winds are blowing on the islands, which tighten the equatorial air along the western periphery of the Hawaiian Anticyclone into cyclonic depressions of the polar front, passing over the north-western part of the Kona archipelago often reach the storm strength and bring sudden livne.
The North-Western Islands of the Archipelago lie in the subtropical climate belt, but, remote from the cold California, they have higher average seasonal temperatures; Cyclonic sediments, maximum winter (on the island of Midway drops 1070 mm per year). Flora Havaev is highly endemic (up to 93-species) and monotum, as a result of which it stands out to the special Hawaiian subsemist of Paleo-tropics. It does not have vicious, ficuses, epiphytic orchids. Palms are represented only by three species. Mountain-forest landscapes with vertical illustral are developed on the northern and northeastern slopes, dry forests, savanna and even arid shrubs prevail on the southern and southwestern slopes. In the lower forest belt (up to a height of 600-700 m), where the moisturizing is still not great enough, seasonally wet mixed (leaf-old-evergreen) forests are developing, in an average belt (up to 1200 m) constant wet evergreen forests. From 1200 m to the upper border of the forest (3000 m), the tropical mountain gylya is replaced. In the Hawaiian forests, now heavily cut down, many trees with valuable wood. Especially in the XIX century. There was sandalwood (Santalum album) with aromatic wood, currently almost destroyed. On the vertex volcanic plateau, lying in the mountain belt of a moderate climate on fresh untreated lava, the first settlers are ferns, shrubs, comprehensive and xerophytic cereals appear behind them. Savannes do not rise across the slopes above 300-600 m. Heteropogon Contortus Herbal Herb (Cynadon Dactylon) form a dense twin cover in them, which prevents the appearance of wood vegetation, which is the trees (Pandanus SPP., Erythri-Na Monosperma) grow scattered rare groups. In small islands, vegetation is represented by rare xerophyte shrubs and rigid cereals, many rocky islands are completely bare. Under savannahs, especially under the forests, the soils of a latice series are developed, strongly saturated with oxides of titanium and iron in accordance with the chemical composition of Love. Full formation of forests under the plantation entailed intense erosion, and many years of soil use without the introduction of necessary fertilizers led to their strong exhaustion. Ornithofauna (67 genera) is very rich in the islands. More than half of the birds leads a settling lifestyle and nests on the islands (mainly on small, which, with the exception of the island of Midwi, declared a bird reservation). Many forest species of birds have a beautiful plumage. Among them are the endemic family of Hawaiian flowers and endemic genus of medical sites.
Some birds arrive at the islands to wintering from North America and Northeast Asia. In addition to birds from the actual Hawaiian fauna, there are one type of bat, several types of lizards (gecko, scinting), beetles. A lot of plants from all countries of the world were delivered to the Hawaiian Islands and accidentally, including weeds and weeds, which strongly distributed and in many areas, who ousted the local flora; There are many animals on the island, as well as birds and insects, some of which also brings great harm. Rabbits, cats, pigs and rats were incredibly dispersed.
Bibliography
To prepare this work, materials from the site http://rgo.ru were used
Geographical position and nature:
The state in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, located on the Caroline Islands. The length of the coastline is 6112 km. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe country is 702 km 2. Islands are heterogeneous on geological origin: from high mountainous islands to low coral atolls. Volcanic activity continues on some of the islands. Basic Natural Resources: Seafood, Wood, Phosphorites.
Population:
The population is 122,950 people (1995). Two large ethnic groups - Micronesians and Polynesians. The official language is English, however, local adverbs are widespread - Chamorro, Yap, Belarus, Carolinsky, Marshal and other most believers - Protestants (congregationists, Lutherans) and Catholics. Birth rate - 28.12 newborns per 1,000 person (1995). Mortality - 6.3 deadly outcome of 1,000 people (the level of child mortality - 36.52 deaths per 1,000 newborns). The average life expectancy: men - 66 years old, women - 69 years old (1995).
The climate of the archipelago in the western part is equatorial and subequatorial, in the eastern - tropical trade-monsoon, with minor fluctuations in temperature. The average monthly temperatures are about 25-30 ° C. The amount of precipitation is from 1,500 to 4,000 mm per year in different parts of the archipelago (in the eastern islands there are often strong livne), more "dry" months - winter.
Vegetable world:
Volcanic and coral islands differ in the nature of vegetation. On the coast of volcanic islands - mangrove thickets, coconut palms, bamboo. Coconut palms dominate on the coral islands.
Animal world
The animal world of the whole archipelago is extremely poor.
State device, political parties:
Full item - Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). State Device - Federal Republic. The country includes 4 states: Chuch, Cosaire, Ponay, Yap. Capital - Palikir. The independent state of Micronesia became September 17, 1991 (before - part of the Pacific Islands, the UNIT of the UN, who was under the administration of the United States). The head of state and the government is the president. Legislative power is represented by the Federal Single-Parliament Parliament - the National Congress.
Economy, Transport Communications:
One of the main sectors of the economy - fisheries, in addition, Micronesia receives significant income on the sale of licenses that give the right to fishing in the coastal water area. Tourism development is hampered by the remote location of the islands and the lack of proper infrastructure. GNP amounted to $ 160 million in 1994 (GNP I am inflation - $ 1,500). Main trading partners: USA, Japan, Australia, South Korea. The monetary unit is the US dollar (1 dollar (US $) is 100 cents).
There are no railways, on the main islands there are 39 km of asphalt roads. Country ports: Colonia, Oakat, Truk.
Open Spaniards in the 17th century, Caroline Islands were sold in Germany in 1899. From 1919 to 1945, the islands were managed under the mandate of Japan. Since 1947, the territory of modern Micronesia became part of the UNIC territory of the UN-Pacific Islands, which were under the administration of the United States. Having received the status of a free association with the United States in 1986, the islands became an independent state of Micronesia in 1991
Participation in international organizations.
Micronesia (which translated from Greek means "Little Islands") includes the islands: 1) Mariana; 2) Palau and Yap; 3) Carolinsky: 4) Marshall, consisting of two parallel chains: Western - Roller and Eastern - Ratak; 5) Gilbert.
Geographic environment
In Micronesia, you can count over one and a half thousand islands, if every strip of earth or a rock, outstanding over water, is considered for a separate island. There are more than 800 in the Marshall group, in the Carolinsky group, more than 700 islands. But in fact, in the whole Micronesia there is only about 100 islands that really deserve this name; About 80 are populated from them.
On the sizes of the surface in the first place are the Mariana Islands (15 islands, 1140 km 2), then Karolinsky (about 40 Actually Islands, 1000 km 2), Palau (about 10 island itself, 450 km 2), Gilbert (16 islands, 428 km 2), Marshall (about 30 Actually Islands, 405 km 2). The total area of \u200b\u200bthe land of all Islands of Micronesia is less than 3.5 thousand km 2.
How dense these land areas can be judged by the following figurative remark of the Russian navigator F. P. Litke about the Caroline Islands: "If B, excluding high yualan, pogynipet and rugs, rally together, a circle, all the other islands and put them on Spitz Peter and Paul Fortress , they would barely covered the entire Petersburg with country houses "1.
But these small pieces of land are crushed in a huge space, for 5,200 km from north to south and 2,200 km from the west to the East. Despite the insignificant total area of \u200b\u200bthese islands, they are considered a separate part of Oceania.
Micronesia islands are divided by their origin and structure to coral and volcanic. To the number of coral belongs to all "Islands of Gilbert and Marshall, to the number of volcanic - all Mariana. In the Karolinskaya and Palau groups, coral islands have a small area, volcanic - Large. Islands Yualan (Waland, or Kusaye), Poynipet (TRUK), which wrote a liter in the above quotation is volcanic islands. All other islands of the Caroline Group, if not included in it Palau and Yap, - coral.
Darwin wrote about the coral islands: "The ocean's immeasures and the rage of the surf form a sharp contrast with a low land and smooth extensive space of green water inside the lagoon, - a contrast that ^ is difficult to disagree yourself who has not seen it with your own eyes" 1.
Volcanic islands cool rise above the ocean and often achieve a large height. On O-venerap there are vertices up to 900 m, on Kusaye-up to 600 m.
Truk Island island presents a whole group of islands. Inside the lagoon surrounded by the reef, with a diameter of about 60 km, there are 16 volcanic islands, with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 70 km 2 (from 0.5 to 12 km 2). All islands are inhabited.
The vegetation of the coral islands is poor, volcanic rich. So, on-wa. Ponap, Kusaye and Truk are covered with thick mountain forests. Climate in micronesia tropical, marine, with almost constant annual temperature about + 26 °.
General information about Micronesians
The indigenous people of Micronesia, Micronesians, in the tongue are included in the large group of Malaysian-Polynesian hydroes.
The long-term independent history of Micronesian groups has led to the emergence of specific differences in their culture. In addition to the hell, the total micronesia, many features ranged in different islands.
In this regard, it is clearly distinguished by, on the one hand, Western Micronesia (O-Va Mariana, Palau, PL), on the other East (Marshall and Gilbert). In Eastern Micronesia, there are no volcanic islands TT, therefore no stone, so guns were made of sinks, while in Western Micronesia, stone tools were widespread. Further, in the culture of Eastern Micronesia, Polynesian elements prevailed, in Western Indonesian. Caroline Islands were an intermediate group in this regard. These differences have developed a long time ago and on the basis of pure local conditions.
Traces and later, complyed by Indonesian influence: cultivation of rice in the Mariana Islands; pottery, which is known only on O-Wah Palau and Yap; Fighter tube, meeting only on Palau. Here again the difference between Western Micronesia and Eastern - in the latter there is no traces of late Indonesian influence.
Finally, the later history was in different ways in various places of Micronesia. The first object of European colonization was Western Micronesia, and her population suffered most strongly.
Residents Mariana Islands, Chamorro, conducted a long and stubborn struggle against Spanish colonialists (XVII century) and all of them - they were numbered: about 50 thousand were exterminated. The population of O-Gossy Palau decreased from 50 thousand to 6 thousand Eastern micronesias became the object of colonial captures later. The population has suffered less here, but the increase in it almost ceased. For example, the population of Marshall Islands now, as at the end of the XIX century, is about 10 thousand.
Different and the fate of the traditional, original culture of Islanders of Western and Eastern Micronesia.
Culture Chamorro is completely destroyed. Otherwise, it could not be, since the previous population remained. Contemporary chophone occurred as a result of the mixing of immigrants from other Isles of Micronesia with the descendants of the Spaniards, Philipps, Japanese, and others. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe purebred chamorro and their external culture can be obtained only on the works of early writers and travelers (Pigafetta-1521, Goben - 1700 G., partly the Kotsebu - 1817, Freisin - 1819).
In the modern population of O-Gossi Palau is also noticeable admixture of Japanese, Chinese and European blood. In culture there were indigenous changes. Nevertheless, the residents of Palau rightly believe that their culture presents the result of their own efforts, and not external influences. They are convinced, one author notes that "Culture Palau can have to have any catastrophe ... Moreover, when they look at their history, it seems clear to them that their lifestyle has been preserved. People live are now completely different than the people of past generations, but they do not doubt that the basis of their life is preserved "1.
The culture of the inhabitants of Eastern Micronesia continues to maintain their originality. In it, as foreign authors are expressed, "the native base has been preserved."
Now there are about 110 thousand microns. According to groups of the islands, the population is distributed as follows: on the Mariana Islands - 28 thousand, on Palau - 6 thousand, on the O-vesp - 3 thousand, in Caroline - 30 thousand, on Marshall - 10 thousand, on Wah Gilbert - 32 thousand
On separate more large islands This population (in the Marshall, Carolinsky, Mariana and Palau and Palau groups) is distributed as follows: GUAM - 23 thousand, Truk - 10.5 thousand, ponap - 5.5 thousand, Saipan - 3.5 thousand, Jaluit-2 thousand, Kusaye - 1.2 thousand, Mayuro - 1.1 thousand. The rest of the population of these four groups of the islands lives on 62 islands, often strongly removed one from the other. About half of the islands has a population of less than 250 each each.
On the large Islands The population is divided into separate rustic communities. On the O-Wah Palau, for example, 80 separate villages, on the O-vep - about 100 villages (there were 235 villages in the past, but over the past 50 years, the population has significantly decreased). On small islands, the entire population is usually one community.
Mariana Islands
The indigenous population of the Mariana Islands was called Chamorro from the local words of Chamori (Leader). In the 1660s, when the Spanish soldiers and Missionaries-Jesuit arrived at the Mariana Islets, there were up to 100 thousand chamorro. But then 30 years have followed the bloody "conquest" of Cha Morro Spaniards. During this time, more than 40 thousand people were exterminated. Two destructive hurricane (1671 and 1693) and epidemics brought the number of purebred chamorro to several thousand. To change the exterminated indigenous people, the Spaniards imported colonists from their other possessions with the Philippines, from America. The descendants of the previous tribes were dissolved among them.
By the end of the XVIII century. Purebred Chamorro was no longer. O. E. Kotsebu, visiting the Mariana Islands in 1817, wrote: "If I could return by the time Magellan opened this Islands, then Rurik would have been surrounded for a long time was already a lot of cheerful islanders boats, but now this is already There was no ... since that time, all generation of natural inhabitants of the Ladron (i.e. Mariana) islands were exterminated. We walked around, we will not meet the boats, they watched in vain, we will not see the shore of the man; We even seemed to us that we were in an uninhabited island. The appearance of this beautiful land, "continued to the Kotseb," sorrowful feelings gave birth to me: In the former times, the fruitful valleys of this served as a habitat for the people who had their days in silence and happiness; Now there were alone adorable palm forests and donated the graves of the previous residents. "1.
On the O-ve Guam Kotsebu recorded: "From among the indigenous local residents, there is one of the island only a couple; With the death of two people, the generation of ancient palms will be fucked. "2
All early writers and travelers describe Chamorro, as high-rise people and athletic addition, with some propensity to complete. "They maintained wonderful health before old age," Spanish Jesuit Sanviters said, "and they usually lived before the ninety and one hundred years" 3. Travelers talk a lot about the great physical strength of men Chamorro. It is also noted good-natured in everyday life, hospitality and other positive traits of their character.
It was the people who had a developed culture. Chamorro cultured rice, made clay dishes; The exchange between residents of various islands of the Marian Group was widely developed; The exchange of creature is also between the population of Mariana and Caroline Islands. People with O-Va Yap came to Guam Behind Stone. The sharing unit on the Mariana Islands served products from shells.
The main occupation of the population of the Mariana Islands was agriculture. A stick with a pointed end (tanum) and stone hoe (AKOA) served tools for soil treatment. Rice tie knives from sharp shells. Rice was for a chamorro main source of food. Early travelers say that Chamorro also fed to the yams, bananas, coconut nuts, fruits of breadwinner, sugar cane; Fish was in food, turtle meat, bats, different birds.
According to Pigafetta, the division of labor between men and women was as follows: "Women do not engage in field works, but spend the time of the houses for weaving Cynekov, baskets and the manufacture of other economic objects made of palm leaves" 1. They watched the children, and also collected edible roots and leaves in the forest, caught fish on the reefs with manual networks, made clay dishes, coconut oil, prepared food. Men worked in the fields, caught fish nets, built houses and boats; They were all craft work on a tree and stone.
There was no bow and arrows. There were also swords and shields. The main weapon served a spear with a tip from human bone. Consumed the right. Wars, as far as known, were rare and not bloody.
In the sea, Chamorro came out on double boats with triangular sails.
The clothes were almost absent: in most cases were limited to belts of fibers. During the rain and on the holidays, clothing stitched from Pandanus leaves, and the same helmets, but neither cut, nor kind of them are known, since the samples are not preserved. The decorations from the turtle suspension and shells are used throughout Western micronesia. The tattoo was absent, in contrast to the polynemia. Teeth, and it is characteristic of all Western Micronesia, beautiful in black.
Chamorro lived villages (SonGSOPG) and farms near their fields. According to the missionar of Sanvotorsias (1668), 50-150 houses and huts were numbered in the coastal villages and horses, in the villages of the internal areas of 6-20. There were about 180 villages on Guam. At the end of the XVII century. The main village on the entire group of the Mariana Islands was the village of Aga-on ("Agadna" at Kotsebu) on the North-West Bank of Guam. Higher social rank people lived here. They lived in 53 large houses that were stood by pillars or on stone laying piles. There were also about 150 small huts from the leaves, where the rest of the population lived.
Approximately the same position existed on the entire archipelago: the simple people lived in the huts from the leaves, and the noble build houses on the pillars or on stone laying piles. Such pillars are still preserved in some islands, but unfortunately, they have not yet studied archeologically.
One of the authors who saw such pillars on the O-ve Tinian describes them as follows: they go to the truncated pyramids, the foundation of which in its size is not the same. The height of them is about 4 m, and the largest width of the base is 1 m. The column ends up with a massive hemisphere, 2 meters in the diameter. The columns are made of a mixture of sand and lime, so hardened that at first glance they can be honored with a stone mass. Each column is monolithic, the hemisphere is bonded by the same cement. There are columns in two rows, six columns in each "and so symmetrically, that make up the street. The strength of them is amazing. None of them fell, did not cracked, did not crumble. Only two of them were cracked by a hemisphere. All travelers who visited Mariana Islands celebrated these archaeological monuments.
Such structures are very peculiar and do not have parallels outside the micronesia. Apparently, these are the remnants of a kind of pile buildings, but piles are stone, the result of the device of the Micronesians to life on the coral islands, where it is easier to make a stone column than to find suitable wood.
Public system of the population of Mariansky O-Great
The entire population of Chamorro was divided into three public layers: Mata A is the highest layer, Achaot - the middle layer, mangatchang lower layer.
Unfortunately, data on these social groups and relations between them are extremely scarce. In the hands of Matua was control over production and exchange in all group islands. From their medium, soldiers, navigators, fishermen, boat builders, merchants came out. As for Achaot, they are only known about them that they helped Matu in all matters. One of the authors calls Achay younger sons Matu.
Mangatchang is a "simple people", detached from participation in the public life of the highest class through various restrictions and taboos. There was marriage between Mangatchang and Matua. Mangatchang did not have the right to be a warrior, navigator, the builder of the boat, the merchant. Fisheries was limited to Him fishing with the head of the main occupation of Mangatchang was agriculture. Mangatchang could not eat and drink in the houses of Matu, he was forbidden to even approach their homes. If he needed something to ask Matu, he had to speak from a long distance. When meeting with Muso, he had to bow low.
Each island was divided into areas that included one or more villages. At the head of the district stood a leader (Magalheh) with his family (wife, younger brothers, descendants). These were Matua and Achat. All the rest of the population of the district belonged to the mangatchang layer. It must be assumed that Magalah has been ordered by all the lands of the district and fishing sites.
Unfortunately, the economic structure of Chamorro remained completely unknown. There is no information about the basis that created these social orders. The earth has already become a private property of noble: sources speak of their "family estates". It can be assumed that the society of Chamorro stood on the verge of the transition from the primitive-free system to class.
But along with the emerging class, the generic system continued to exist. Chamorro was combined into childbirth, belonging to which was determined through the mother's line. It is possible that the genus retained more signs of exogamia. With all any significant work, members of the kind were going together and helped each other.
It is also known that in the Mariana Islands there was a society of idle of youth, which was called Ulito, or Uritao. His members lived in separate houses of bachelors and, as one of the old authors is expressed, "indulged in epicureism." Obviously, here we are talking about the age class of boys; They lived in a male house that served the club.
A number of devil points to the high position of women.
One of the old authors wrote that "women did not have the rights of royal, but in the councils and courts used such a strong influence that the Board in court was in their hands, and not in the hands of men. In the house, the dominion of them was unlimited. "
The women's assembly mentioned by Gobien are not allowed for men. Women came there in the best clothes and performed various songs and dances, the details of which Gobien could not be installed.
There is a complete freedom of girls before marriage. Girls were allowed to attend the houses of idle of youth. When wwattan, mother advocated mother. Marriage practiced through.
It is difficult to establish from contradictory information whether the marriage was patriotoilen or matribleen. In any case, the presence of a broker indicates the remnants of matrimanity.
Fishing catch was given to his wife, which distributed it among relatives.
Curious marriage relationships. According to the story of Gobien and later authors, in case of infidelity of his wife, the husband expelled her from home, but did not have the right to punish it. The only thing he could do is cause his opponent to a fight. On the contrary, if the husband broke his marital loyalty, his wife punished him cruelly. One early observer describes a similar custom as follows: the wife, having learned that the husband has unpleasant communication for her, it immediately reports this news to all women of the village, which, put on men's helmets, are going to the appointed place with darts in their hands. In such a militant outfit in combat order, they approach the house of the guilty, devastated its fields, break fruit from trees, pounce on the dwelling. If the husband was not hidden or I was removed from the house in advance, they attack him and pursue until they were expelled to the street. It happened like this: the woman left her dwelling and notified relatives that could not live with her husband; Then relatives were the guilty of the guilty, broke, broke and carried everything that came under hand, and the owner was happy if the Avengers were limited to this and did not destroy his dwellings.
By the death of her husband, all the property passed to his wife. After the death of a woman, the property took her relatives. If the mother died, the feeding and raising of children, especially breastless, took over her relatives, obviously, from her kind.
In general, among the people of one kind and even one generation there was a permanent and indispensable duty of helping each other. Help provided in the case of childbirth, marriage, burial, building houses or boats, field processing. If a woman needed a boat and similar objects belonging to anyone to her relative, then she brought him a circle of a turtle board and said: "I give you such a thing, take it instead of such things, I need." It was impossible to refuse.
Talking about this custom, Gobien tried to emphasize the high meaning and privileges used by women. Behind the turtle circle, in essence, the symbolic gift, the woman could get from her relatives anyone you needed.
All these data, despite their fragment, show that there were characteristic features of the matriarchal generic device.
Religious beliefs of Chamorro consisted of the advantage of the cult of the dead (absence) and ancestors. The skulls were used by sorcerers for magical purposes.
The year in Chamorro was divided into 13 lunar months. In the sea they focused on the stars. There were signs, or rather evacor, with a very developed specialization in the treatment of dislocation and fractures and other diseases. The use of some healing herbs was known.
Finally, Chamorro had a developed folklore and music, but the samples did not reach us. Only two types of flute are known from the musical instruments, of which one nose, i.e. Polynesian type.
All this peculiar and in its own way, a rich culture now completely disappeared. The life of the modern population of the Mariana Islands is completely subordinated by the capitalist orders, there is little original in it. Old culture gave way to a new, very motley, pretended from a wide variety of elements brought by many ethnic groups: Spaniards, Mexicans, Japanese, Filipinos, who brought with them crafts and arts, new clothes and entertainment (roosted battles), new religions (Catholic Christianity Evitation, Buddhism). All this is connected to the few remnants of the original culture of Chamorro.
Before World War II, Chamorro lived in villages and small towns near the coast. During the war, all cities were destroyed, including the capital of Guam - Agan.
