wi oli nee. EEC A Pan Se ea” Shit Le pete ed yeny ene eee at et eT areat HEALTH SURVEYIN PACIFIC age, and approximately one fifth was 45 years of age or over. It should be borne in mind that most ages were estimated by an interpreter, as very fewnatives knew their own age. The age distribution in the Saipan district presented the most youthful pattern of population found in the territory. The meclian age was 17.3 as compared with 25.5 for the Palaudistrict and 23.6 for the Marshall Islands district. Only part of the Marshall Islands district is included in this study. Statistics were available for about two thirds of the inhabited islands of the district, accounting for Agedistributions for the islands oratolls of the Marshall Islands and Saipan districts were relatively consistent. In the Palaudistrict, however, there was considerable variation. Mferir, Sonsorol, and Tobi had the highest. proportion of old people. There was a strong tendency on the part of the young people of these islands to leave for homes- elsewhere while the older people remained. Of Merir’s 11 inhabitants. only 3 were under 45 years of age. Approximately 10 percent of Sonsorol’s population of 111 was 43 years of age and over, and almost one third of the total had reached or passed the 65-year mark. On Tobi, 60 percent of the 128 inkabitants had reached or passed 45 years of age. At the other extreme were Koror, Eauripik, and Rota, each of which has only 10 percent in the 45-year-and-over age group. The median age of 22.8 years for Tinian Island appeared high as compared with Saipan and Rota in the same district. There were two groups of inhabitants on Tinian, the Yap-Chamorros and the patients at the leprosarium. The latter group was composed mainly of middle-aged and old people. There were no small children at the colony. Infants born at the leprosarium were sent to Saipan immediately and cared for at the hospital until they were adopted. The median age for the leprosarium patient was 35.4 years, while that for the Yap-Chamorros was 16.6 years, the second lowest in these . . districts. An unusual situation existed on Pulo Anna. Fourteenof the sixteen inhabitants were members of one family: the chief; his mother; two brothers; two sisters; two young Indonesian girls, the wives of his two brothers; and six children. Marital status. The traditional marriage customs with their large gatherings. feasts, and exchanges of property were still: practiced throughoutthe territory. Missionary intluence had madeits imprint on martiage customs and many marriages were being performed with church sanction. OCTOBER 1959 5013255 1203 oc over 10 percent of the population.