Editing Palau (section)

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Palau}}
[[File:Share_Of_Forest_Area_In_Total_Land_Area,_Top_Countries_(2021).svg|thumb|330x330px|Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021). Palau has the fifth highest percentage of forest cover in the world.]]
Palau's territory consists of an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. Its most populous islands are [[Angaur]], [[Babeldaob]], [[Koror]] and [[Peleliu]]. The latter three lie together within the same [[Coral reef|barrier reef]], while Angaur is an oceanic island several kilometers to the south. About two-thirds of the population lives on Koror. The coral [[atoll]] of [[Kayangel]] is north of these islands, while the uninhabited [[Rock Islands]] (about 200) are west of the main island group. A remote group of six islands, known as the [[Southwest Islands (Palau)|Southwest Islands]], some {{convert|375|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=off|sp=us}} from the main islands, make up the states of Hatohobei and Sonsorol.

===Climate===
Palau has a [[tropical rainforest climate]] with an annual mean temperature of {{convert|28|C|abbr=on}}. Rainfall is heavy throughout the year, averaging {{convert|3800|mm|in|abbr=on}}. The average humidity is 82% and, although rain falls more frequently between June and October, there is still much sunshine. Palau lies on the edge of the typhoon belt. Tropical disturbances frequently develop near Palau every year, but significant [[tropical cyclone]]s are quite rare. [[Typhoon Mike|Mike]], [[Typhoon Bopha|Bopha]] and [[Typhoon Haiyan|Haiyan]] are the only systems that struck Palau as typhoons on record.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kitamoto|first1=Asanobu|title=Tracking Chart Latitude 7.40N / Longitude 134.50E (±1)|url=http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/cgi-bin/dt/track_geo.pl?lat=7.4&latrange=1&lon=134.5&lonrange=1&lang=en&basin=wnp&t=0&b=14&type=1&size=128&R=100%2F180%2F0%2F60&M=57%2F557%2F29%2F404%0D%0A&sy=1951&ey=2019&month=0&category=3&category=4&category=5&tnum=1000|publisher=Digital Typhoon|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=12 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112131354/http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/cgi-bin/dt/track_geo.pl?lat=7.4&latrange=1&lon=134.5&lonrange=1&lang=en&basin=wnp&t=0&b=14&type=1&size=128&R=100/180/0/60&M=57/557/29/404%0D%0A&sy=1951&ey=2019&month=0&category=3&category=4&category=5&tnum=1000|url-status=live}}</ref>{{clear}}
{{Weather box|location = Palau Islands (1961–1990)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan high C = 30.6
|Feb high C = 30.6
|Mar high C = 30.9
|Apr high C = 31.3
|May high C = 31.4
|Jun high C = 31.0
|Jul high C = 30.6
|Aug high C = 30.7
|Sep high C = 30.9
|Oct high C = 31.1
|Nov high C = 31.4
|Dec high C = 31.1
|Jan mean C = 27.3
|Feb mean C = 27.2
|Mar mean C = 27.5
|Apr mean C = 27.9
|May mean C = 28.0
|Jun mean C = 27.6
|Jul mean C = 27.4
|Aug mean C = 27.5
|Sep mean C = 27.7
|Oct mean C = 27.7
|Nov mean C = 27.9
|Dec mean C = 27.7
|Jan low C = 23.9
|Feb low C = 23.9
|Mar low C = 24.1
|Apr low C = 24.4
|May low C = 24.5
|Jun low C = 24.2
|Jul low C = 24.1
|Aug low C = 24.3
|Sep low C = 24.5
|Oct low C = 24.4
|Nov low C = 24.4
|Dec low C = 24.2
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 271.8
|Feb rain mm = 231.6
|Mar rain mm = 208.3
|Apr rain mm = 220.2
|May rain mm = 304.5
|Jun rain mm = 438.7
|Jul rain mm = 458.2
|Aug rain mm = 379.7
|Sep rain mm = 301.2
|Oct rain mm = 352.3
|Nov rain mm = 287.5
|Dec rain mm = 304.3
|Jan rain days = 19.0
|Feb rain days = 15.9
|Mar rain days = 16.7
|Apr rain days = 14.8
|May rain days = 20.0
|Jun rain days = 21.9
|Jul rain days = 21.0
|Aug rain days = 19.8
|Sep rain days = 16.8
|Oct rain days = 20.1
|Nov rain days = 18.7
|Dec rain days = 19.9
|Jan sun = 198.4
|Feb sun = 194.9
|Mar sun = 244.9
|Apr sun = 234.0
|May sun = 210.8
|Jun sun = 168.0
|Jul sun = 186.0
|Aug sun = 176.7
|Sep sun = 198.0
|Oct sun = 179.8
|Nov sun = 183.0
|Dec sun = 182.9
|source 1 = Hong Kong Observatory<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/australia/pacific/palau_islands_e.htm |title=Climatological Information for Palau Islands, Pacific Islands, United States |publisher=Hong Kong Observatory |access-date=20 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001190819/http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/australia/pacific/palau_islands_e.htm |archive-date=1 October 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>|date=August 2010}}

===Environment===
[[File:Ngerukewid-2016-aerial-view-Luka-Peternel.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Ngerukewid]]]]
[[File:Rock-Islands-Palau-1-2016-aerial-view-Luka-Peternel.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Rock Islands (Palau)|Rock Islands]]]]
[[File:Palau-rock-islands20071222.jpg|thumb|[[Rock Islands (Palau)|Rock Islands]] in Palau]]
[[File:Palau 2008030818 4709 (2347767520).jpg|thumb|An aerial view of limestone islands]]

Palau has a history of strong environmental conservation. For example, [[Ngerukewid]] and the surrounding area are protected under the Ngerukewid Islands Wildlife Preserve, which was established in 1956.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wiles |first1=Gary J. |last2=Conry |first2=Paul J. |year=1990 |title=Terrestrial vertebrates of the Ngerukewid Islands Wildlife Preserve, Palau Islands |journal=Micronesica |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=41–66}}</ref> While much of Palau remains free of [[environmental degradation]], areas of concern include illegal [[blast fishing|dynamite fishing]], inadequate [[waste management|solid waste disposal]] facilities in Koror, and extensive sand and coral [[dredging]] in the Palau lagoon.

As with other Pacific island states, [[sea-level rise|rising sea level]] presents a major environmental threat. However, according to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research average [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita|carbon dioxide emissions per person]] were 60 tonnes in 2019, the highest in the world, and mostly from transport.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fossil CO<sub>2</sub> and GHG emissions of all world countries: 2019 report.|url=http://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9d09ccd1-e0dd-11e9-9c4e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en|last1=Monforti-Ferrario|first1=F.|last2=Oreggioni|first2=G.|last3=Schaaf|first3=E.|last4=Guizzardi|first4=D.|last5=Olivier|first5=J.G.J.|last6=Solazzo|first6=E.|last7=Lo Vullo|first7=E.|last8=Crippa|first8=M.|last9=Muntean|first9=M.|last10=Vignati|first10=E.|publisher=Publications Office of the European Union|date=26 September 2019|website=op.europa.eu|isbn=9789276111009|access-date=20 May 2020|archive-date=8 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908142704/https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9d09ccd1-e0dd-11e9-9c4e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=what kind of transport?|date=May 2020}}  Inundation of low-lying areas threatens coastal vegetation, agriculture, and an already insufficient [[water supply]]. [[Wastewater treatment]] is a problem, along with the handling of [[toxic waste]] from [[fertilizer]]s and [[biocide]]s.

One species of [[saltwater crocodile]], ''Crocodylus porosus'', is indigenous to Palau, occurring in varying numbers throughout the [[mangrove]]s and in parts of the Rock Islands. Although this species is generally considered extremely dangerous, there has only been one fatal human attack, on 28&nbsp;December 1965, in Palau in modern history.<ref>{{cite conference|title=Survey of the crocodile populations of the Republic of Palau, Caroline Islands, Pacific Ocean, 8–24 June 1991: A report to the Government of the Republic of Palau Koror, Palau.|last1=Messel|first1=H.|last2=King|first2=F.W.|year=1992|volume=1|book-title=Proceedings of the 11th Working Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN – The World Conservation Union|publisher=IUCN – The World Conservation Union|location=Gland, Switzerland|isbn=9789820400115|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DCIWAQAAIAAJ|access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref> This attack led to a crocodile eradication program and trade in crocodile hides that ran into the 1980s. A management and conservation program running since the 1990s has led to a stabilization of the Palauan crocodile population.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Webb|first1=Grahame J.W.|last2=Manolis|first2=S. Charlie|last3=Brien|first3=Matthew L.|date=2010|chapter=Saltwater Crocodile ''Crocodylus porosus''|pages=99–113|title=Crocodiles. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan|edition=third|editor1-first=S.C.|editor1-last=Manolis|editor2-first=C.|editor2-last=Stevenson|publisher=Crocodile Specialist Group|location=Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia|chapter-url=https://www.iucncsg.org/365_docs/attachments/protarea/18%20--8088e67a.pdf|access-date=23 September 2021|archive-date=20 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720153839/https://www.iucncsg.org/365_docs/attachments/protarea/18%20--8088e67a.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 5&nbsp;November 2005, [[Thomas Remengesau Jr.|President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr.]] took the lead on a regional environmental initiative called the Micronesia Challenge, which would conserve 30% of near-shore coastal waters and 20% of [[forest|forest land]] by 2020. Following Palau, the initiative was joined by the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the US territories of Guam and [[Northern Mariana Islands]]. Together, this combined region represents nearly 5% of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean and 7% of its coastline.

Palau contains the [[Palau tropical moist forests]] terrestrial ecoregion.<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> It had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 8.09/10, ranking it 27th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref> The country is vulnerable to earthquakes, [[volcano|volcanic activity]], and [[tropical cyclone|tropical storms]].

===Shark sanctuary===
On 25&nbsp;September 2009, Palau announced that it would create the world's first [[shark sanctuary]].<ref name="Palau creates world's first shark haven">{{cite web|url=http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=508795&publicationSubCategoryId=200|title=Palau creates world's first shark haven|date=26 September 2009|access-date=28 September 2009|work=[[The Philippine Star]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104125625/http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=508795&publicationSubCategoryId=200|archive-date=4 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Palau banned all commercial shark fishing within the waters of its [[exclusive economic zone]]. The sanctuary protects about {{convert|600000|km2|sqmi|sp=us}} of ocean,<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 September 2009
| author= Richard Black
|title= Palau pioneers 'shark sanctuary'|url=http://usproxy.bbc.com/2/hi/science/nature/8272508.stm
| work = BBC News
|access-date=15 January 2023|archive-date=1 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001201027/http://usproxy.bbc.com/2/hi/science/nature/8272508.stm|url-status=dead}}</ref> a similar size to France.<ref name="Palau's EEZ becomes shark sanctuary"/><ref name="World's first shark sanctuary created by Pacific island of Palau">{{Cite news|author=Sophie Tedmanson|url=https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6848627.ece|title=World's first shark sanctuary created by Pacific island of Palau|date=26 September 2009|access-date=28 September 2009|work=[[The Times]]|location=London|archive-date=11 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111081427/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6848627.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="France-Size Shark Sanctuary Created -- A First">{{cite web|author=Ker Than|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090925-sharks-sanctuary-palau.html|title=France-Size Shark Sanctuary Created – A First|date=25 September 2009|access-date=28 September 2009|work=[[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]]|archive-date=10 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110105831/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090925-sharks-sanctuary-palau.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> President [[Johnson Toribiong]] announced the sanctuary at a meeting of the United Nations.<ref name="Palau's EEZ becomes shark sanctuary">{{cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/27/content_12117618.htm|title=Palau's EEZ becomes shark sanctuary|date=27 September 2009|access-date=28 September 2009|agency=[[Xinhua News Agency]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930054317/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/27/content_12117618.htm|archive-date=30 September 2009}}</ref><ref name="Palau creates shark sanctuary to protect tourism and prevent overfishing">{{cite web|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=49344|title=Palau creates shark sanctuary to protect tourism and prevent overfishing|date=27 September 2009|access-date=28 September 2009|publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]]|archive-date=11 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111081424/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=49344|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Palau to Ban Shark Fishing">{{Cite news|author=Cornelia Dean|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/science/earth/25shark.html|title=Palau to Ban Shark Fishing|date=24 September 2009|access-date=28 September 2009|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=11 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111081425/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/science/earth/25shark.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Toribiong proposed a worldwide ban on fishing for sharks.<ref name="Palau's EEZ becomes shark sanctuary"/> In 2012, Palau received the Future Policy Award from [[World Future Council]], because "Palau is a global leader in protecting marine ecosystems".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/tiny-nation-of-palau-proves-sharks-worth-more-alive-than-dead/551759 |work=Jakarta Globe |title=Tiny Nation of Palau Proves Sharks Worth More Alive Than Dead |date=22 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027025150/http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/tiny-nation-of-palau-proves-sharks-worth-more-alive-than-dead/551759 |archive-date=27 October 2012 }}</ref>