Travel the World - Week 49

This is the 49th week in my Travel the World personal challenge. Each week I am randomly choosing one country (there are 195 countries in the world) and doing a little research on that country. I then select one tidbit of information about the country as inspiration for the card I make.

This week's country is...

Palau

Palau (whose official name is the Republic of Palau) is an island country located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is a country that consists of more than 250 islands. It shares maritime boundaries with Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

As an island nation, Palau’s best known geographic feature is its coastlines, with beautiful beaches and clear blue waters.

The coastline of the islands is 944 miles long.

Palau is also home to the world-famous Rock Islands. The Rock Islands are a cluster of more than two hundred rounded knobs of forest-capped limestone that plunges steeply into the sea. 

All year round, Palau experiences a pleasantly warm climate with an annual average temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and between July and October, Palau gets its heaviest rainfall.

It is the 180th largest country in the world in terms of land area with 180 square miles.

It is viewed as polite to say “Yes” when you mean “No” and vice versa.  When invited to a social gathering, for example, never decline.  But you are welcome to accept and then not go.

Punctuality is only for professional, business, and school settings.  They have “island time” which means that everything happens in their own time.

Palau people touch a whole lot in Palau. In fact, among acquaintances, a whole conversation could take place while holding hands. However, people are not likely to touch you if you two are not familiar.

Palau has two official languages: Palauan and English.

Palau does not have a college nor a University. There is a two-year trade school. Those seeking a college education must go to other countries to get it. 

The population of Palau was estimated to be 21,348 people as recently as 2017.

It is the 180th largest country in the world in terms of land area with 180 square miles.

Palau is a beautiful tropical paradise, and one of the true unspoiled destinations on the planet.

Palau has many beautiful waterfalls. Ngardmau waterfall is the largest waterfall in Palau.

Geographically, the terrain varies from the high, mountainous main island of Babeldaob to low coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs.

Palau has huge number of sea turtles, pelagic predators, sharks, dolphins, and several species of the migratory fish which do not exist anywhere else in the world but are found only in the Palaun archipelago.

Saltwater crocodiles, which grow to approximately 15 feet long, are common in Palau’s coastal mangroves and rock islands. Although regarded as an aggressive species of crocodile, only one fatal human attack by this creature has been recorded in Palau’s modern history. The attack occurred in the 1960s.

Jellyfish Lake is a marine lake located on Eil Malk island. Eil Malk is part of the Rock Islands. Millions of golden jellyfish migrate horizontally across the lake daily. Visitors can swim with the jellyfish, because they are harmless.

The Koror Jail is the only correctional facility in Palau. Interestingly, it is also a tourist destination as the inmates sell elaborately carved wooded storyboards at a retail facility located in the premises of the jail.

Palau was the site for many of the Survivor reality television programs. Survivor Palau is the tenth season of Survivor. 

Baseball is a popular sport in Palau after its introduction by the Japanese in the 1920s.

Palau grows coconuts, copra (dried coconut kernels), tapioca and sweet potatoes.

Its industry consists of tourism, construction, craft items and garment making.

I decided to let this Palau fact be the inspiration for this week's card... fishing is a very popular in Palau, both among the Palau people and its tourists. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamps: Stamping Bella Catch of the Day and Taylored Expressions Hello (free with purchase) stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Really Rust CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Paper Studio Mini Brads