ONE WORLD, ONE FAMILY

The Republic of Palau is a tiny independent nation of 20,000 inhabitants located in westernmost Micronesia in the Equatorial Pacific. Through great providence Palau was untouched by the Tsunami of December 26 th, 2004. Our tour operators and hotels are open ready to greet visitors with sincere Palauan hospitality.

Although occurrences of tsunamis, earthquakes, or typhoons are extremely rare for Palau, the National Weather Service in Palau’s capitol, Koror, has a system in place to receive any Earthquake Watch (48 hours), or Earthquake Warning (24 hours), through the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu. Palau also receives Typhoon Warnings / Watches through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a radar system will be installed to Palau’s weather station in the near future. Palau’s Islands are also protected by barrier reefs that rise up from deep ocean trenches.

The Palau Visitors Authority would like to extend their most heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Tsunami throughout the countries of Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Somalia, Maldives, Myanmar, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Kenya, Seychelles, as well as tourists from many nations.

The people of the Republic of Palau grieve with you and continue to keep you in our prayers as you struggle to rebuild your lives in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in history.

On January 20 th, 2005, the National Leadership of the Republic of Palau will sponsor a Tsunami Relief Fundraising 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center. The theme Tal Beluulchad, Tal Telungakl, which translates “One World, One Family”, is asking Palauans to give from their hearts for their global family. The goal of this fundraising event is to raise $50,000 for the Relief Fund. Please pledge your support by calling (680) 488-2561 or contact Senator Alfonzo Diaz, owner of local radio station, WWFM, at wwfm@palaunet.com.

For more information about Palau, please view our web site www.visit-palau.com or contact:

Palau Visitors Authority

P.O. Box 256 , Koror, Republic of Palau 96940

Tel: (680) 488-1930/2793, Fax: (680) 488-1453, E-mail: pva@visit-palau.com

For more information regarding Palau’s Earthquake Warning / Watch system, please contact the National Weather Service at (680) 488-1034, or view the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center web site at http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/