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Palau

General Information about Palau

Palau is an island nation located in the South Pacific north of Indonesia and to the east of the Philipines. Palau is one of the world's youngest and smallest countries and has a population of 20,800 people. Palau is one of the seven underwater wonders of the world and is sometimes referred to as Belau, the nations mative name in English. The official language of Palau is Palauan. Other commonly spoken languages include English, Tobi and Angaur. Some Asian languages are also spoken. The majority of the Palauan population are either Roman Catholic or Protestant but there is still a small following of Palau's indigenous religion Modekngei. In late 2006, Melekeok became the capital city of Palau. Melekeok is situated on the east coast of Palau's largest island Babeldaob and is home to just over 9,300 people. Palau's former capital city Koror is home to 11,200 people and is the largest town in Palau.

Badrulchau, located in the north of the Babeldaob Island is a popular attraction. Here there are 37 large basalt monoliths weighing up to 5 tones, and it is unknown where they came from. It is believed that construction began here in AD 100 but was abonded around 1600. Blue Corner near Koror is Palau's most popular dive site. Here there is wonderfl marine life including barracudas, sharks, an amazing variety of fish and hard and soft coral. The village of Ngermid in Koror has an interesting monument known as the Mother & Child Stone. These are said to be the remains of a mother and child who were turned into stone afer the mother looked inside a men's house in the village. Nearby is the now abandoned Hotel Nikko Palau where guests used to see ghosts of Japanese soldiers who had died during World War II. Koror also has a wonderful museum and aquarium.

Climate

Find Out About The Climate Of Palau

Because of its proximity to the equator Palau experiences a maritime tropical climate with an annual average of 27-28 degrees. If your planning a trip between July and October then you should be prepared for some wet weather as this is the wet season. Palau experiences north east trade winds particularly from December through to March. Then from June through to October Palau experiences south west monsoons with typhoons being rare. Annual rainfall varies from 120 to 160 metres with humidity going no higher than 84 percent.

Geography

Geographical Information On Palau

Set in the North Pacific Ocean, south east of the Philippines Palau has a total area of 458 square kilometres with an coastline of over 1,519 kilometres. Officially known as the Republic of Palau has over 250 islands with the most populated islands being Angaur, Babeldaob, Koror, and Peleliu. The terrain of Palau is very beautiful and varies geologically from high mountains on the main island of Babelthuap to low coral islands which are surrounded by large barrier reefs. Along the atoll of Kayangel which is the only inhabited atoll, is some amazing coral reefs. Kayangel alsos has a lagoon that must be visited with a depth of six metres. Here is the lagoon the coral is abundant and diverse. Many amazing sea creatures can be seen here particularly large fish, dolphins, and foraging sea turtles.

Economy

Learn About The Economy Of Palau

The tourism industry is the main source of income with many visitors coming to see the beautiful coral reefs resulting in a booming snorkelling and scuba diving trade. Palau receives huge amounts of financial support from the US with as much as $23.46 million dollars in past years. The agricultural industry is also important to the economy with the fishing industry being the biggest support. The main exports of Palau are shellfish, tuna, copra, and garments. The official currency of Palau is the US Dollar.

Must Explore would like to wish you an enjoyable stay in Palau.

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