tourism city

Palau

Palau · Oceania

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Country in the Western Pacific

About Palau

Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country located in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands, while the eastern and central parts make up the Federated States of Micronesia.

Etymology

The name for the islands in the Palauan language, Belau, derives from the Palauan word for "village", beluu (thus ultimately from Proto-Austronesian *banua), or from aibebelau ("indirect replies"), relating to a creation myth. The name "Palau" originated in the Spanish Los Palaos, eventually entering English via the German Palau. An archaic name for the islands in English was the "Pelew Islands". The name of the country "Palau" is most likely not derived from the Malay word Pulau (island), despite the similarity in its word form.

History

Palau was originally settled between the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE by Austronesian peoples, most likely from what is now the Philippines or Indonesia. Sonsorol was sighted by the Spanish as early as 1521, when the Spanish mission of the Trinidad, the flagship of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage of circumnavigation, sighted two small islands around the 5th parallel north, naming them "San Juan". In December 1696, a group of sailors from the Caroline Islands were stranded on Samar, near Guiuan, when they met European missionary Paul Klein. Using pebbles, the sailors attempted to show Klein the approximate location and size of the islands. He used this information to produce the first European map of the Palau area. Klein sent the map to Jesuit Superior General, along with a letter detailing the names of the islands, the culture of the people, and his experiences with them. …

Geography

Palau's territory consists of an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. Its most populous islands are Angaur, Babeldaob, Koror and Peleliu. The latter three lie together within the same barrier reef, while Angaur is an oceanic island several kilometers to the south. About two-thirds of the population lives on Koror. The coral atoll of Kayangel is north of these islands, while the uninhabited Rock Islands (about 200) are west of the main island group. A remote group of six islands, known as the Southwest Islands, some 604 kilometers (375 miles) from the main islands, make up the states of Hatohobei and Sonsorol. Palau has a tropical rainforest climate with an annual mean temperature of 28 °C (82 °F). Rainfall is heavy throughout the year, averaging 3,800 mm (150 in). …

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Culture

Palauan society follows a very strict matrilineal system. Matrilineal practices are seen in nearly every aspect of Palauan traditions, especially in funerals, marriages, inheritance, and the passing of traditional titles. The cuisine includes local foods such as cassava, taro, yam, potato, fish and pork. It is also heavily influenced by Japanese, American, and Filipino cuisine, because of the significant presence of Filipino migrant workers. Fruit bat soup is a Palauan delicacy. Some local drinks include an alcoholic drink made from a coconut on the tree; a drink made from the roots of the kava; and the chewing of betel nuts. A dessert called tama was developed in Palau. Palau has several newspapers: Rengel Belau (1983–1985) Tia Belau (1992–present) Island Times Baseball has been popular in Palau since its introduction to the country in the 1920s by the Japanese. …

Economy

Palau's economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. Tourist activity focuses on scuba diving and snorkeling in the islands' rich marine environment, including its barrier reefs' walls and World War II wrecks. In April 2022, Palau launched Ol'au Palau, a responsible tourism program aimed to preserve the country's natural environment and traditional culture. The government is the largest employer, relying heavily on US financial assistance. Business and tourist arrivals numbered some 50,000 in fiscal year 2000–2001. Although Palau's ship registry represents less than 0.001% of the world fleet of commercial ships, it contains almost 60% of last-voyage flags in 2019. It suggests that the registry is used by shipping companies to evade end-of-life responsibilities. …

Transportation

Palau International Airport provides scheduled direct flights with Guam (Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport), Manila (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), Brisbane (Brisbane Airport) and Taipei (Taoyuan International Airport). In addition, the states of Angaur and Peleliu have regular service to domestic destinations. Air service has at times been spotty. Palau Micronesia Air, Asian Spirit and Pacific Flier provided service to the Philippines and other destinations at various times during the 2000s, but all suspended service. United Airlines provides near-daily service to and from Guam, and once-weekly service to Yap. Korean Air also runs a direct service three times per week to Incheon. Two to four times per week, China Airlines flies between Koror and Taipei. In May 2024, Nauru Airlines started direct weekly flights to Brisbane, Australia. …