Palau
Palau
Palau is an Island country in western Pacific
Ocean and is a part of larger group of islands ‘Micronesia’. Palau is a free
country with a total population of 21,000. The country got its independence in
1994 and has presidential rule in free association with United State which
provides defense and economic aid to the country. With a small population
density of 24/km2, insufficient land and inadequate water supply,
Tourism, Fishing and Subsistence agriculture are the major economic activities
in Palau. The whole Palau is divided into 16 states which were called
Municipalities earlier. Angaur,
Babeldaob, Koror and Peleliu are the islands with most of the population.
Angaur is located miles away in south from the rest three islands and is
oceanic island. Among the above four, Koror contains about two third of the
total native population of Palau. About 70% of the total population of Palau is
native to Palau and rest have come and settled their due to interisland
marriages. The currency of Palau is US dollar and Citizens of Palau enjoys
double the per capita as the whole of Micronesia.
Since Tourism is the major source of income in
Palau, the number of visiting tourists per year is general more than the total
number of native residents of Palau. Palau Government started a regional
environmental initiative called Micronesia Challenge in 2005 with the target of
conserving 30% of near-shore coastal water and 20 % of forest land by 2020.
Government also started the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009 and preserves
sharks in a sea area of about the size of France. Palau has been included in
the ‘Seven Wonders of the Underwater
World’.
Credits: Image Source- Google Images
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