Gurung

Gurung (also spelled Gurunung, Guruung, or Guwruwng) is a village in Fanif municipality on Yap (Marbaa’) in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is located at approximately 9.5570° N latitude and 138.1106° E longitude.

Classification

Gurung is classified within the Yapese system of ranked villages associated with Tabinaw as a Caste I, Class 4 (I–4–C) village. This classification places it within the highest caste tier while below the top-ranked villages of the island hierarchy.

In the Yapese system, rank and authority are vested in land estates and their central foundations, with leadership exercised by individuals who speak for that land.

Names and variant spellings

The village name appears in multiple recorded forms, including Gurung, Gurunung, Guruung, and Guwruwng. These variants reflect differences in transcription across mapping and administrative records.

Location

Gurung is situated within the inland portion of Fanif on Yap (Marbaa’). It lies within a cluster of villages that includes Rang and Ateliew, and is positioned south of Gilfiz, the central village of Fanif.

Gurung is separated from nearby villages such as Bulochang and Mereniw by defined village boundaries within the Fanif district.

The village has a recorded land area of approximately 579.63 acres. A burial ground is located approximately 0.58 km from the village site.

Population and habitation status

Gurung is recorded as unoccupied in 1966 while remaining a recognized named village within Fanif.

Despite the absence of a resident population, Gurung continues to exist as a named land and social unit within the Yapese system of ranked villages, where village identity, land, and position in the hierarchy persist independently of continuous habitation.