Palau

Palau is situated in the western Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines, and consists of some 340 coral and volcanic islands. All but six of Palau's islands sit inside an expansive lagoon enclosed by a huge barrier reef. Palau stretches across 700 km of ocean and its forest coverage is one of the highest in the world. The topography of the islands varies from the mountainous main island, Babelthuap, to many low‐lying coral islands.

Palau has a tropical climate. Annual average temperature is around 28 °C and remains the same throughout the year, with daily highs around 31 °C and lows around 24 °C. The difference between the hottest and coldest months is about 0.8 °C. Heavy rains occur all year, with the least rainfall occurring between February and April. Annual average rainfall is about 3 100 mm. -—
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—- Palau does not lie directly in the path of tropical cyclones but is nevertheless sometimes affected. One of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, Haiyan, hit Palau in January 2014.

Tourism, fishing and agriculture are the main economic activities of Palau. Tourism infrastructure is well developed ‐ tourist activities focus on water sports like scuba diving and snorkeling. Helicopter rides are also popular. The service sector accounts for most of the country's GDP with 88 per cent, including retail trade, restaurants and hotels contributing about 30 per cent to GDP. Palau exports fish, especially yellowfin tuna. The main export partners are Japan, Greece and the United States of America. Among the Pacific SIDS, Palau had the highest GDP per capita in 2019 at US$16 000, current prices. -—
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Women play an important role in Palauan society as it is organized around matrilineal clans. Senior women have strong decision making powers with regard to property.

Poetry and dancing are important arts in Palau. Traditional line dances are performed by both men and women. Men's dances often include war‐related elements.

The Palauan cuisine is centered around root vegetables, seafood dishes and the versatile use of coconut. It takes influences from the cuisines of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and the United States, but adds a unique Palauan twist.

Baseball is the most popular sport played in Palau. Palau first joined the Olympic Games in the 2000 Sydney Summer Games but has not yet participated in the Winter Games.