Caroline Islands

Caroline Islands, a group in the Western Pacific, lying between the Marshall and Pelew islands, with an area of about 270 sq. m., and a pop. of some 22,000; but the Pelew (q.v.) group is generally included in the Caroline Archipelago (area, 560 sq. m.; pop. 36,000), which thus stretches across 32 degrees of longitude and 9 of latitude. There are some 500 small atolls in the archipelago, but three-fourths of both area and population are included in the five volcanic islands of Babel-thouap, Yap, Ronk, Ponapé (Ascension), and Kusari (Strong Island); these are all fertile and well watered, and many of the low-lying lagoons, though less so, are well wooded and to some extent inhabited. The climate is moist, but not unhealthy, and is tempered by cooling breezes. The people belong to the brown Polynesian stock, are strongly built, and are gentle, amiable, and intelligent; they are bold sailors, and carry on a brisk trade with the Ladrones to the north, where they have several settlements. Besides the usual products of the Polynesian islands, Copra (q.v.) has been largely exported, the German factories alone transmitting 1000 tons yearly. The islands were discovered in 1527 by the Portuguese, and called Sequeira; in 1686 they were annexed and rechristened in honour of Charles II. by the Spaniards, who, however, shortly changed the name to New Philippines. After the failure of several missionary attempts in the 18th century, Spain took little active interest in the group, until August 1885, when the German flag was hoisted on Yap. The sharp dispute which followed was submitted to the pope as arbitrator, who decided in favour of Spain. In 1887 disturbances broke out at Ponapé, in which the governor, who had arrested an American Protestant missionary, was killed by the natives. In 1899 the Caroline Islands were ceded to Germany, Spain retaining a coaling station. See book by F. W. Christian (1899).—A British Caroline Island near the Marquesas is only 2 sq. m. in area.