The island arcs of Micronesia rise abruptly from the deep o.... island high

The island arcs of Micronesia rise abruptly from the deep ocean and comprise volcanic mountain ranges built up from lava from the fractured ocean floor. Termed high islands because of their high elevations, these islands are often fringed with coral reefs. By contrast, low islands are composed exclusively of coral formations, which result in either single coral islands or, more commonly, coral atolls. Western Micronesia (comprising Palau and the Mariana Islands) was probably settled by peoples from Indonesia or the Philippines some 3,500 years ago, and eastern Micronesia was possibly settled from eastern Melanesia at about the same time. Among the high-island cultures of Micronesia there are seven major cultures: the Chamorros, most of whom live on the four southernmost of the Marianas; the Palauans; the Yapese; the Chuukese, of the dozen or so islands in the Chuuk Lagoon; the Pohnpeians; the Kosraeans; and some of the Nauruans. Early Micronesians lived by subsistence hortic! ulture and fishing; horticulture was a more likely enterprise on the high islands and fishing among the atoll inhabitants. On the larger high islands, some of the interior land was communally owned. Feasts were an important aspect of island life, providing one of many types of exchange common in Micronesia. In recent times substantial movements of indigenous population have occurred within Micronesia, generally from the low islands to the nearest high island. The economies of most Micronesian islands still are based largely on subsistence farming and fishing. Guam and some other large islands rear some cattle and water buffalo, but pigs and chickens predominate on all the islands. Construction is concentrated on projects sponsored by the military on islands associated with the United States and on roads, housing, and basic infrastructure elsewhere. The periodic devastation wrought by typhoons requires that all Micronesian islands have facilities for repair and maintenance. ! The islands were heavily fortified by the Japanese before Worl! d War II and were occupied by the United States after bitter fighting in 1944. island high