In 1500 BC, settlers from Eastern Indonesia and the Southern Philippines first settled in Yap. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish ships arrived on the islands and initiated the first Europeana travels to this island, just as a stop off during sea journeys.   In 1731, missionaries, Juan Cantova and Victor Walter, introduced the locals to the Catholic religion in the island of Mogmog. Then, in 1869, Germans began a trading station on Yap Proper. The intent at the time was to make money off of coconut oil production.

Also around this time, David Dean O’Keefe, who was an American sailor who had been shipwrecked on Yap a year earlier, returned to Yap. He first introduced money to the island and traded it for some coconut meat, called Copra (what coconut oil is made of). This American began also exporting coconut meat to Asia.

In 1874, Spain proclaimed sovereignty over Yap. Then in 1899, Spain sold Yap to Germany.

From 1900 to1906, the population of Yap went through a dark phase; many say the diseases that ravaged the population was due to the European colonizers. Regardless, influenza and leprosy nearly annihilated the Yap population.

In during World War I, Japan gained control of the island Yap and also began successful production of coconut meat. They also brought public schools and increased infrastructure. However, during World War II, the Yapese suffered under Japanese occupation. Then, to combat the Japanese, the Allies bombed the business district on Yap. After Yap endured much conflict and also was a main stop off for Allied ships, in 1945, American forces occupied Yap after Japan’s surrender.

In 1966, Peace Corps arrived in Yap and introduced some more modern governmental concepts to the island.