Palau
Palau (), officially the Republic of Palau () and historically "Belau", "Palaos" or "Pelew", is an island country in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caroline Islands with parts of the Federated States of Micronesia. It has a total area of 466 square kilometers (180 square miles). The most populous island is Koror, home to the country's most populous city of the same name. The capital Ngerulmud is located on the nearby island of Babeldaob, in Melekeok State. Palau shares maritime boundaries with international waters to the north, Micronesia to the east, Indonesia to the south, and the Philippines to the north west.

The country was originally settled approximately 3,000 years ago by migrants from Maritime Southeast Asia. Spain was the first European nation to explore the islands in the 16th century, and they were made part of the Spanish East Indies in 1574. Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War in 1898, the islands were sold to Imperial Germany in 1899 under the terms of the German–Spanish Treaty, where they were administered as part of German New Guinea. After World War I, the islands were made a part of the Japanese-ruled South Seas Mandate by the League of Nations. During World War II, skirmishes, including the major Battle of Peleliu, were fought between American and Japanese troops as part of the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign. Along with other Pacific Islands, Palau was made a part of the United States-governed Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. Having voted in a referendum against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1978, the islands gained full sovereignty in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

Politically, Palau is a presidential republic in free association with the United States, which provides defense, funding, and access to social services. Legislative power is concentrated in the bicameral Palau National Congress. Palau's economy is based mainly on tourism, subsistence agriculture and fishing, with a significant portion of gross national product (GNP) derived from foreign aid. The country uses the United States dollar as its currency. The islands' culture mixes Micronesian, Melanesian, Asian, and Western elements. Ethnic Palauans, the majority of the population, are of mixed Micronesian, Melanesian, and Austronesian descent. A smaller proportion of the population is of Japanese descent. The country's two official languages are Palauan (a member of the Austronesian language family) and English, with Japanese, Sonsorolese, and Tobian recognized as regional languages.
Q112099
island country
Concept
Q98
Pacific
LOC
Q118350
Caroline Islands
LOC
Q702
Federated States of Micronesia
LOC
Q189426
Koror
LOC
Q527748
the same name
LOC
Q515229
Ngerulmud
LOC
Q746861
Babeldaob
LOC
Q12898552
Melekeok State
LOC
Q3089219
maritime boundaries
Concept
Q25855
international waters
Concept
Q702
Micronesia
LOC
Q252
Indonesia
LOC
Q928
Philippines
LOC
Q2919361
Maritime Southeast Asia
LOC
Q910648
Spanish East Indies
LOC
Q12583
Spanish–American War
EVE
Q43287
Imperial Germany
Concept
Q664603
German–Spanish Treaty
MEDIA
Q165008
German New Guinea
LOC
Q361
World War I
EVE
Q718763
South Seas Mandate
LOC
Q38130
League of Nations
Concept
Q362
World War II
EVE
Q609030
Battle of Peleliu
LOC
Q696168
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
PER
Q19617380
Pacific Islands
LOC
Q129237
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
LOC
Q5263
1947
TIME
Q42008
sovereignty
Concept
Q2478583
Compact of Free Association
ORG
Q49892
presidential
Concept
Q7270
republic
Concept
Q1138279
free association
Concept
Q189445
bicameral
Concept
Q1384462
Palau National Congress
MEDIA
Q2737637
Palau's economy
MEDIA
Q49389
tourism
Concept
Q2787508
subsistence agriculture
Concept
Q14373
fishing
Concept
Q6803767
gross national product
Concept
Q4917
United States dollar
Concept
Q37394
Melanesia
LOC
Q861225
Austronesia
Concept
Q161652
Japanese
MEDIA
Q23492
official language
Concept
Q33776
Palauan
Concept
Q49228
Austronesian
Concept
Q1860
English
Concept
Q5287
Japanese
ORG
Q13281
Sonsorolese
Concept
Q34022
Tobian
Concept
Q770220
regional language
Concept
Q695
Palau
LOC
Q695
Palau
LOC
Q695
Palau
LOC
Q695
Palau
LOC
Q695
Palau
LOC
Q695
Palau
LOC
Q695
Palau
LOC
1574-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1574
DATE
1898-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1898
DATE
1899-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1899
DATE
1947-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1947
DATE
1978-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1978
DATE
1994-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1994
DATE
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180
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+16^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
16
NUMBER
instance of
lowest point
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diplomatic relation
instance of
legislative body
currency
official language
official language
official language
language used
language used
instance of
country
inception
instance of