Note: The cache is not at the listed coordinates.
Living in the smallest state in the country is a source of pride for many Rhode Islanders. However few people know that Rhode Island is actually much larger than a number of entire nations. This cache is the first in a series representing the world's ten smallest countries, all of which are significantly smaller than the Ocean State. These puzzle caches aren't designed to be the most difficult, but hopefully you'll learn something about each country along the way. In most cases, the information provided at the beginning of each cache page will not be particularly helpful in solving the puzzle.
Tuvalu
Tuvalu, the world’s fourth smallest nation, is comprised of nine small islands scattered over 500,000 km2 of the southern Pacific Ocean. Although the islands cover such a large swath of sea, Tuvalu’s combined land area totals only 26 km2. The initial date of settlement of the Tuvaluan islands is generally unknown, but the first inhabitants were likely native Polynesians from neighboring Samoa and Tonga. Initially known as the Ellice Islands, the islands became a British protectorate in 1892, and were later annexed by the British Empire in 1916. In 1975, the Ellice Islands were officially distinguished from the nearby Gilbert Islands, which also comprised a British protectorate, and were formally renamed Tuvalu. Tuvalu was granted independence from Britain in 1978, but remained a member of the British Commonwealth. Four islands that had been seized by the United States through the Guano Islands Act of 1856 were given to Tuvalu in 1979.
As a coral archipelago, the Tuvaluan islands are naturally low-lying, with the nation’s highest point being only 5 meters above sea level. Due to climate change-driven sea level rise, Tuvalu has experienced severe coastal erosion since the 1990s. The islands have no bodies of freshwater, with its citizens relying solely on rainwater collection. Because of this, the islands’ government has been a vocal advocate for action against climate change. In 2002, the Tuvaluan government sued the United States government for its role (and subsequent denial of culpability) in rising ocean levels. Much of the islands’ population has begun fleeing their homes, either to one of the nation’s larger islands or as refugees to Australia and the United States, in an effort to escape the effects of climate change.
The Puzzle
Tuvalu is comprised of nine islands: Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu, Nanumanga, Niulakita, and Niutao. While walking along the coast of Niulakita, the least densely populated of the islands, two American tourists came upon a large bottle bobbing in the surf. Upon closer inspection, the pair noticed that there was a piece of paper inside the bottle. They opened the bottle, and were perplexed. The message scrawled on the aged paper appeared to be a random jumble of words. Unable to make any sense of it, the pair stashed the message in a bag, and it was soon forgotten. Months later, one of the tourists found the paper in the bottom of a suitcase and decided to investigate. Let’s see if you can make some sense of it for them.
(Assume N 42 W 071)
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Co-FTF goes to BlackstoneVal and ~Marvalus!