Palau is an archipelago
of about 250 islands, situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It is its
own country the Republic of Palau, even though geographically it is part
of the bigger island group of Micronesia.
More than 30 years it was a part of the United Nations Trust Territory
of the Pacific under United States administration. Now It’s finally
gained entire independence in 1994. Palau is a striking tropical
paradise, and one of the factual unspoiled destinations
on the planet. More than 100-plus islands are small low-lying coral
islands, ringed by barrier reefs and uninhabited. The entire country's
population is just 21,000 spread across 250 islands forming the western
chain of the Caroline Islands. The most famous
sights in Palau’s are the Rock Islands a group of green islands covered
in foliage with a few bright white sandy beaches. Shaped by ancient
coral reefs, the bases of these limestone formations have been slowly
eroded over millennia into quirky mushroom shapes.
There are between 250 to 400+ islands in the group, according to
different sources, with an aggregate area of 47 square KM and a height
up to 207 meters.
The islands are
uninhabited and are re-known for their beaches, blue lagoons and the
unusual umbrella-like shapes of many of the islands themselves. The Rock
Islands and the surrounding reefs make up Palau's prominent
tourist sites such as Blue Corner, Blue hole, German Channel, Ngermeaus
Island and the famed Jellyfish Lake, one of the many Marine lakes in
the Rock Islands that provides home and safety for several kinds of
stingless jellyfish found only in Palau. It is
the most prominent dive destination in Palau. Actually, Palau offers
best and most diverse dive sites on the earth planet. From wall diving
to high current drift dives, from Manta Rays to sharkfeeds and from
shallow and colorful lagoons to radiantly decorated
caves and overhangs. However, currently uninhabited, the islands were
once home to Palauan settlements, and Palauans continue to use the
region and its resources for cultural and recreational purposes. The
islands contain a noteworthy set of cultural remains
relating to an occupation more than 5,000 years that ended in
abandonment. Archaeological remains of former human occupation in caves
and villages, including rock art and burials, testifies to seasonal
human occupation and use of the marine ecosystem, dating
back to 3,100 BC and extending over some 2,500 years.
