Geographical location and 7 ° 30 'north latitude, 133 ° 30' length
Official languages English and Palauan
Timezone
When it is noon Monday in Palau, is:
Manila 11: 00 am Monday, Tokyo 12: 00 PM, Sydney Monday 1: 00 PM, Honolulu Monday 5: 00 P.M. Sunday, Los Angeles Sunday 7: 00 PM
Climate
Palau enjoys a pleasant warm climate all year round with an average temperature of 82 ° degrees f. (27 ° C).
Rainfall can occur throughout the year and the annual average is 150 inches. The average relative humidity is 82%, and although rain falls more frequently between July and
October, there are still plenty of sunshine. Typhoons are rare as Palau is located outside the typhoon zone.
Currency and credit cards:
The official currency of the Republic is the U.S. dollar. Visa, JCB, Master Card and
American Express widely accepted in shops and facilities. There are banks of FDIC insured and large hotels with limited foreign exchange. In addition, Palau has money
transfers like Western Union or through the bank.
Geography
Seen from above, the Palau Islands in green calligraphy seem an empty corner of the sea. More 470 km east of the Philippines and imprisoned by the stretch of the Pacific Ocean, Palau is
a unusual oasis, an isolated archipelago thriving biodiversity and abundance. Exact location is ∞ July 30 'N, 133 ∞ 30' East Latitude. Palau is the westernmost island group of a
region called the Western Caroline Islands, part of a larger region call Micronesia. Nations in the Micronesia region include U.S. territory of Guam, the community of the Northern
Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (which is a Yap State) and the Republic of Palau.
Koror is a small charming and quirky. Of the approximately 17,500 inhabitants, including about 4,500 foreign workers mainly from the Philippines, half the population lives in Koror, a city
of 3.5 miles long that extends into four islands connected by bridge and causeway. There are paved roads, cars, malls (But no more than four stories high) and over 25 restaurants. A
two-lane road crosses through the city. All shops and neighborhoods are located on both sides of this road, similar to the arrangement of the Florida Keys in the United States.
Koror is safe to walk at night, but night life is still limited to a few bars, including the Barracuda own by FnF. Other attractions include Kramer night, favored by expatriates,
Riptide, a dance floor and occasional live music located in the small public beach club Palau and Peleliu, a local favorite abuzz with cha local.
Although the best action is in the water for activities around the city of Koror, find to visit two
museums (Museum of Etpison and Belau National Museum), the Palau International Coral Reef Center (next to us!) that houses an aquarium, a mariculture project where you can see a giant clam
hatchery, farm, crocodile, a former Japanese shrine with a majestic view, WWII relics and monuments, traditional meeting houses of the Bai, a shop for arts and crafts in the Senior citizens
center, a public library with a rare collection in Palau, a dolphin swim center and a cinema. Koror acts as a gateway to the rest of the islands of Palau you can visit by boat,
plane or vehicle 4 x 4.
The lifestyle in Palau is very easy and relaxed for everyone. No one goes hungry here, can rely on family members or friends if they are unemployed. They are focusing on family,
it seems almost everyone is related here, and clan ties are still strong. Although there are Americanized, they retain much of their traditional culture - ceremonies, exchanges and
advice - on land and at sea.
History
The early history of Palau (Belau) is largely veiled in mystery. Why, how and when people came to our beautiful islands is unknown, but Studies indicate that they are distant
relatives of Malays from Indonesia, Melanesian New Guinea and Polynesians. As to the date of arrival, dating of artifacts the oldest known villages on the islands of rock and
spectacular terraces on the Babeldaob civilization calculated of 1,000 ac
The first foreign contact is most prominent conducted in 1783 when the English Captain Henry Wilson, wrecked on a reef near Ulong, a Rock Island located between Koror and Peleliu. With the
assistance Ibedul high chief of Koror, Wilson and his men ran for three months to rebuild his boat. Since then, many foreign explorers came to Palau and the islands were exposed to
more contact with Europeans.
The Government of the islands officially began when Pope Leo XIII signed the rights of Spain over the Caroline Islands in 1885. Two churches were established and maintained by Capuchin
two priests and two brothers, resulting in the introduction of Roman alphabet and the elimination of wars inter-village. In 1899, Spain sold the Carolinas to Germany, which
established an organized program to exploit the native resources of the islands.
After the defeat of Germany in the World War I, the islands were formally passed to the Japanese under the Versailles Treaty, 1919. The Japanese influence in the Palauan culture was
immense as changed economy of a subsistence level to a market economy and property of the individual clans. In 1922, Koror became the administrative center for all Japanese possessions
in the South Pacific. The city of Koror was a factory-style metropolis, shops, public restrooms, restaurants and pharmacies.
After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Carolinas, MarianasIslands and Marshall became United Nations Trust territories under the U.S. administration, were named as one of six
districts island of Palau. As part of its mandate, United States improved infrastructure and education system of Palau to become a self-sufficient nation. This finally
occurred on October 1, 1994, when Palau became independent after the signing of Treaty of Free Association with the USA.
Culture
Arts and crafts
Although in recent decades, Palau has adapted to an international economy, are
identified mostly strongly with their traditional culture. Several of the traditional ceremonies, such as the birth of omersurch ceremony, ocheraol house and the first ceremony Funeral
services kemeldiil widely practiced and codes and beliefs adopted by Palagüitas ancestors are still revered today.
Probably the most remarkable aspect of Palauan culture is connecting people with the Tues
Traditionally, it is the duty of the family to go to sea to harvest fish and villages battling enemies. As the sea was the source of their livelihoods, their men developed a close
relationship with the waters of Palau, becoming versant in the currents and phases of the moon and the behavior of the fish that tried to put on the table.
Women generally stayed on the ground or over shallow reefs surrounding the islands, instead of fighting the open sea, providing the basis for the family. Their days were spent largely
in response to their homes, families and fields where they grew malanga.
Palagüitas villages were and still are, about 10 clans counted for centuries. A Council of Heads of the 10 clans governed the village, and a parallel women Council counterparts
held a significant advisory role in the division and control of land and money.
They are a very social people. Traditionally, history, tradition and knowledge are orally transmitted through the generations as it was no written language until the end of nineteenth
century. They still practice this traditional method, and end of the day, you can often find foci tell the fascinating stories of the recent past.