Culture & Identity of Palau
Introduction
Palau is slowly becoming a tourist hot spot due to its natural
beauty, but this doesn't affect most people's everyday life as they are
tied to the land. None-the-less, this tourist trade is giving the people new job
opportunities and increased wealth, which is often times passed on to the communities
these people are from, hence benefiting many people.
Nearly everyone living in Palau is considered to be urban
as the people live close together and many towns are quite large, but there is no
true city in the country. Because of this, how most people make a living is fairly
consistent from region to region, but the jobs available vastly differ. Some people
spend most of their time collecting food and fishing as sustainable farming is not
uncommon in Palau; in fact, nearly everyone does this to some degree. Other job
opportunities also exist, many of which are in the tourism and other service industries.
Depending on a person's job and way of life, every individual's daily schedule
varies, but most people get up early to go to work, school, or start the day farming
or fishing. Generally school and work are finished by late afternoon or early evening,
but some people may still spend their nights farming or gathering crops, which is
a necessity for most people in Palau. At school numerous subjects
are taught including farming and fishing techniques, along with other important
life skills needed in the island nation.