Patrick Bowman, age 13, of Providence, R.I., for his question

WHERE ARE THE YAP ISLANDS?

About 1,000 miles east of the central Philippines and about 2,000 miles south of Yokohama, Japan, you'll fina the Yap Islands. They are located in the western Pacific ocean and are part of the Caroline Islands.

Four large islands and 10 smaller ones make up the lap Island group. The large islands are called lap, Gagil TOmil, Map ana Rumung. The islana group covers about 40 square miles.

The Spanish discovered and were the first to control Yap. Then in 1899 Spain solo the islands to Germany. Yap became important in 1905 as an international cable station between the United States, the Netherlands Indies, which is now Indonesia, and Japan.

In 1979 Yap became part of the newly formed Federated States of Micronesia.