once upon a time, there was a custody battle with a child between the US And Japan...

but also the Philippines too kind of.

And for some reasons, Spain and Germany were arguing.

And the baby was technically descended from Taiwan who had no claim over it.

It gave them a lot of money because they didn't want China to get too cozy.

And they make great barbecue.

*It's time to learn Geography NOW!*

Everyone, I'm your host Barbs.

Ah! I love Oceania. The world's least talked about an explored region.

Palau is a nation that's just starting to make its debut on the vacation getaway list.

People are now just starting to talk about it. Each island kind of tells a different story.

Let's jump into the map now, shall we?

Palau has gone through so much chaos.

And yet is still kind of... lucky.

Lucky in the sense that unlike their other Micronesia cousins.

Geographically, they kind of have a sweet spot close to the major landmasses.

For one, the country is located between the Philippine Sea and the North Pacific.

It is essentially the furthest western part of the Carolina islands...

...and the Pacific Ocean region known as Micronesia.

Not to be confused with the Federated States of Micronesia...

...which is a country within Micronesia. And it is the closest to major landmasses of Asia and Australasia.

The nation is just east of the Philippines, and north of the West Papua region of Indonesia shared with Papua, New Guinea

It is made up of over 340 Islands, some say as much as 500 if you include smaller rocks and islets.

The largest one being Babeldaob island, which holds the capital Melekeok, or "Ngerulmud".

Yeah, that's how you pronounce it, which is the least populated capital in the world with only about 400 people.

Cool capital building though. You can also find the largest airport. Most people fly into being Roman Tmetuchi International.

However, there are also small airstrips that serviced the Anguar and Peleliu islands.

Nonetheless, the largest city is Koror, which is on a separate island.

Just south of babble dub, which is where most of the commerce and action happens.

The country is further divided into sixteen states, each with their own little flag.

Don't forget these little islands way down south known as the Southwest islands also belonging to them as well.

The Hatohobei based state is the farthest one, made up of Tobi and the Hellen Reef.

The southernmost point nearly 400 miles or 640 kilometers from Babeldaob.

Populated by only about 43 people, making it the least populous first-level administration in the world.

Hellen Reef only has like three people living on it.

Most of the country is interconnected through a series of water taxis and ferries that hop between islands.

Malakal Harbor being the largest shipping port.

However, at about 68 kilometers or 38 miles, Babeldaob Island is the only one

with an extensive roadway network that goes all the way to cone lay, the northernmost point of the country.

Crossing over into core, the other Koror-Babeldaob Bridge.

Whereas to other islands, Meyungs and Malakal, are also connected the bridge.

Speaking of Palau geographic uniqueness,

It's also important to note that just like we mentioned in the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia episodes.

Palau is the third and final Compact of Free Association state with the USA.

What is compact free association?

Ken, explain.

A compact free association means that Palau ends Marshallese,

and Micronesians not only have access to certain US social services like mail, education

but there are also allowed to freely enter and move about the USA and live there with no issues.

Citizenship also comes easy if they wish to apply for it.

Annnnd...Thank you, Ken.

You'll notice a lot of the buildings and sites have plaques dedicated to the countries that have funded or invested in them.

The bridge was built by the Japanese

The capital was built by the Taiwanese, but inspired by Capitol Hill in Washington DC.

The list goes on.

Otherwise, I talked to some of you guys the Palau and geography,

(Yes, We have people from Palau that watch this show.)

And many of you gave me a list of notable places to check out. In case if you decide to visit.

Such as...

the National Museum,

the Etpison Museum,

the neural mud capital building,

the stone face monoliths of Ngarechlong,

the Tet el bad Stone coffin,

the Yapese quarries site sunken stone,

the Bloody nose ridge,

So many World War 2 Japanese sites, including a Shinto shrine,

Thousand man cave in Peleliu,

Milky Way rock islands,

the Kayangel Atoll,

Yeah, I can tell how there's kind of like a lot of World War 2 and Japanese stuff lingering around.

Yeah, we'll explain how it got that way in a sec.

But first! Let's go swimming with some non-poisonous jellyfish, shall we?

Yeah, they have a cool lake with non-poisonous jellyfish you can swim with it.

It's like one of their top tourist destinations.

However, due to overcrowding the government limits visits to avoid harming the fragile ecosystem.

And that's the thing, Palau is a front-runner in oceanic conservation efforts.

About 60% of it is marine area is protected territory.

We're getting a little ahead of ourselves though.

First off, Palau essentially sits right on the Ring of Fire at the Palau Trench...

..., which is an offshoot crack near the Mariana Trench, not too far from Challenger Deep, the deepest oceanic depth discovered.

This is basically how the country formed as volcanic activity forged the islands we see today.

And along wispy speckled archipelago following the large Babeldaob island...

...which is the second-largest island in Micronesia after Guam.

Most of the country is lush and green with tropical vegetation.

Most volcanic activity is extinct today. The tallest point Mountain ARELIS lies on Babel Dom

In fact, Babeldaob, of course, has all the other extreme physical points, like the largest lake.

Lake Ngardok, the largest freshwater lake in Micronesia.

There are many small rivers and streams that cross the country, the largest one feeding into the nara madhu bay like these three

but the largest one the nur Muskaan river from there the country smears into the ocean with small mostly uninhabited lush green islets and

Mangroves enclosed by a giant barrier reef as stretched as 490 square miles or 1260 square kilometers

This place is loaded with too many amazing natural sights

Like the rock island's a unesco heritage site a bunch of mushroom shaped bulbous islands that pop up out of the ocean like bubble wrap

Coral reefs and diving spots are everywhere and even underwater caves the most famous one being the chandelier cave at NarL

otherwise, even though the islands only make up about

177 square miles or 460 square kilometers an area the nation's exclusive economic zone extends even further to about two hundred

Thousand square miles or over half a million square kilometers of ocean about the size of France in 2009

the government signed over about

80% of which to become a marine reserve and the world's first shark sanctuary

A fully protected no-take zone in which things like mining and fishing cannot take place

although scuffles with their neighbours crossing into their waters have been

Documented an ocean pollution coming from said nations have also been an issue from time to time

Oh and keep in mind they are generally outside of the typhoon zone and don't usually get hit with them

the largest one was typhoon Haiyan in 2013

But it only did like a little damage to some houses and there are no fatalities or major injuries reported

All right, so that's just about it. It's time for my triple shot of espresso break, which means it's time for

Noah

My turn Palau is a tropical island nation, so of course no surprise you're gonna find some tropical stuff with their physical makeup

They're about 150 species of bird found in Palau

Including the national animal the fruit dove over 1,300 species of fish and 700 species of coral in terms of mammals

there are less than 20 species most of which are water mammals like dugongs and whales

Otherwise on land they have three main bat species including the endemic large Palau flying in the crab-eating macaque a monkey. Economically speaking

They're relatively better off than most Pacific island nations as the third wealthiest nation by GDP per capita in Oceania after Australia and New Zealand

Nation depends heavily on three main sectors

Subsistence agriculture fishing and most important one tourism which in itself makes about 80 percent of the GDP

Thanks to the various blessed of diving spots and white sand beaches Palau has become an international

Hotspot for visitors abroad over 80 percent of whom come from either Japan Taiwan in the u.s

Its employs about three-quarters of the workforce through the service sector the problem is there are more people coming in than the entire population

of Palau which in return it's caused a strain on the people's rush to sustain and accommodate in the long run as well as avoid

and environmental damage

this caused the government to take action and things like

Instigating a visa policy limiting the amount of flights and visitors as well as access to certain islands

Otherwise everyone's favorite food

Now in Palau the staple you can find with many dishes would most likely be either taro yams or tapioca

cooked in various ways

and of course

Fish we ask you guys the Palau and jogger peeps to give a list of some top notable dishes from Palau and some things you

Guys mentioned include things like Bell taco soup. Tea NOLA Lulu koi Lau and style. Hollow

Hollow fruit bat soup who Gaia and there are so many fruits like passion fruit papaya mango soursop and rambutans

And of course many Western and Asian dishes that permeated the mainstream gastronomy

You can find sushi burgers and pizza everywhere as well

Regardless of all the outside and influence of Palau and people have stuck close to their roots and built a nation that is specifically theirs

Which brings us to?

Now Palau is strange

It's like a kind of American II Japanese e-hybrid Micronesia and confusion fest with some Filipino sprinkled in for good luck

It's interesting to see how over time they kind of grew into what they are now

First of all, the country only has about 22,000 people and is the fourth least populated nation in the world

the country is made up of primarily people that identify with ethnically palawan a Micronesian people group at about 73% about

17% are Filipinos and the rest are other groups mostly Asians and a few whites mostly Americans?

They use the US dollar as their currency

they use the types a and B plug outlets and they drive on the right side of the road now Palau is interesting because although

the majority of people speak either palawan or English

There are five official

which is including Sun Sol and Toby in spoken by about 600 people on the two islands of sunset all and Toby and the last

one

Japanese believe it or not. No

Yep, it's actually only official on the island of and waar making it the only place outside of Japan in which Japanese is an official

Language up to the state level. How did it get that way? Well, long story short world war two. It was kind of like

Alright you belong to us now start learning Japanese. Wait, what?

All right. Japan's out start learning English 9. You think they know today?

You can see Japanese written and spoken throughout much of the country even outside of a noir

Mostly by elders and de-facto speakers as a second language

it is taught as an elective in schools and used widely in the tourism industry to accommodate the influx of Japanese visitors the palau in

Language though is pretty interesting. It's classified as an Austronesian language

It only has ten consonants and six vowels and nobody even knows exactly where the language came from like

it's kind of Micronesian but not exactly the CH is just a Galano stop and makes no sound and the ng sometimes sounds like an

N can sometimes a hidden Val comes out of nowhere, even if it isn't written. It's confusing

Now what exactly makes a palawan palawan? Well, first of all, they are part of the broader

Micronesian ethnic group along with their siblings the marshalese Micronesians Colombians and mariana islanders

Let's put it this way if the pacific islands were family Palau and Guam would kind of be like the better off lucky

Outgoing more connected uncles they have access to international business

Whereas their cousins are a little more reserved and less engaging now despite the obvious influence from outside forces like the USA in Japan Palau

Still has retained its traditions and customs and with that. Here's random Hana with culture stuff dude. Nobody cares

wait, who are you I mean

Get out of here husband. Wait, why don't you just share the whole thing together?

Okay, it is believed that the original inhabitants Palau came from Austronesian settlers

They originated and what is now Taiwan about 4,500 to 5,000 years ago

Oke, and now you try the second part just read the teleprompter

Okay, Palau ins follow traditions and customs similar to their Micronesian cousins

For example, most societies are matrilineal following inheritance through the mother's side

Thank you

The Yap stones we discussed in the mine

aegeon episode were often carved and shipped out from plough some other aspects of pulao and culture include things like

Being heavy - where's of betelnut?

They have a firstborn child

Ceremony in traditional dances women will often wear orange and yellow colored grass skirts with stone bead necklaces and men might be seen wearing dugong

Vertebrae bracelets in baseball is the most commonly played sport

They won numerous Micronesian game titles and they were the champions of the 2007 Pacific games and baseball

Most Palau ones are here - a form of Christianity either Protestant or Roman Catholic

however

There is a syncretic sect called mone that fuses Christianity with tradition Palau and deities which is practiced by about 8%

Of the country if there were two symbols that epitomize palau an identity though

It would have to be the circle divided into four symbolizing wealth and the traditional thatched gable house known as the by