Palau, Micronesia, is one of those places I’d like to visit before I die (which I hope will not be soon). Sometimes described as “One of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World,” Palau is comprised of 586 atolls (ring-shaped coral reefs). These coral reefs are home to 1,450 known species of aquatic life, which makes it one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. That’s a lot of fish.

One of the key ways they maintain their biodiversity is the fact that they banned the use, storage and disposal of nuclear, toxic chemical, gas and biological weapons. I am really impressed by this. Of course, they also live simply and have no military, so I’m sure the nuclear-free lifestyle is a lot easier to maintain than it would be in most of the world.

According to Wikipedia (“Your unreliable news source since 2001!”), Palau and the US have a Compact of Free Association, which I assume means when one or the other says a word, the other nation says whatever comes to mind. Fun!

Silliness aside, it looks like a glorious place to visit. Check out National Geographic’s Palau photos below.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/palau-photos/