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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