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Line 5: − The original settlers of Palau are believed to have arrived from Indonesia as early as 2500 B.C. The Palau islands' position on the western threshold of Oceania and their proximity to Southeast Asia have led to the population being a mixture of Malay, Melanesian, Filipino, and Polynesian ancestry. − Explored by the Spanish navigator Ruy López de Villalobos in 1543, the islands remained under nominal Spanish ownership for more than 300 years before Spain sold them to Germany in 1899. Japan occupied Palau during World War I and received a mandate over them from the League of Nations in 1920. They remained in Japanese control and served as an important naval base until the U.S. seized them during World War II. After the war they became a UN trusteeship (1947), administered by the U.S. Palau signed a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. in 1992, requiring the United States to provide economic aid in exchange for the right to build and maintain U.S. military facilities in Palau. Palau became a sovereign state in 1994. In 2000, former vice president Tommy Remengesau won the presidential election.<ref>http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107866.html</ref> Line 14:
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== Historical Overview ==
== Historical Overview ==
== Facts and Figures ==
== Facts and Figures ==
Population: 20,842 (July 2007 est.)<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ps.html</ref><br /><br />
Population: 20,842 (July 2007 est.)<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ps.html</ref><br /><br />
Currency: US Dollar<br><br>
== Palau during World War 2 ==
== Palau during World War 2 ==
To this day, many of the remnants of [[World War 2]] in the form of destroyed tanks, hidden bunkers and sunken ships still remain in and around the islands of Palau. The sunken Japanese shipwrecks which are now home to marine life, are protected by the government of Palau and are a part of the natural underwater ecosystem. The wreckage is also a hotspot for diving enthusiasts so they can view it up close and personal.<ref>http://palaudive.com/Wrecks.htm Dive Palau</ref>
To this day, many of the remnants of [[World War 2]] in the form of destroyed tanks, hidden bunkers and sunken ships still remain in and around the islands of Palau. The sunken Japanese shipwrecks which are now home to marine life, are protected by the government of Palau and are a part of the natural underwater ecosystem. The wreckage is also a hotspot for diving enthusiasts so they can view it up close and personal.<ref>http://palaudive.com/Wrecks.htm Dive Palau</ref>
== Trivia ==
CBS television reality show [[Survivor]] filmed it's tenth installment of the show among the islands of Palau. [[Tom Westman]] was declared the winner and sole survivor after spending 39 days in Palau. The artifacts and remnants of a once war torn nation as well as it's stunning beauty and native hospitality was used as the backdrop for the show.
== See also ==
== See also ==