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Palau: United States
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Palau is a sovereign nation and conducts its own foreign relations. Since independence, Palau has established diplomatic relations with a number of nations, including many of its Pacific neighbors. Palau was admitted to the United Nations on December 15, 1994, and has since joined several other international organizations. In September 2006, Palau hosted the first Taiwan-Pacific Allies Summit, and its President has gone on several official visits to other Pacific countries, including Taiwan.
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Palau (IPA: ), officially the Republic of Palau , is anisland nationin thePacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800km) east of thePhilippinesand 2000 miles (3200 km) south ofTokyo. Having emerged fromUnited Nationstrusteeship(administered by theUnited States) in 1994, it is one of theworld's youngestand smallest nations. It is sometimes referred to in English under its native name Belau.
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Palau served as a hot middle ground between warring superpowers from the east Japan to the west United States. Exploited by Spanish conquest and imperialism in 1885 and sold to Germany in 1899, Palau was placed under Japanese control in 1914 by rule of the League of Nations after WWI. By this time the indigenous Palauan population had been reduced by nearly 70% from exposure to foreign diseases such as small pox. From 1914 until WWII, Palau became a major Japanese naval base and center of control for Japan's Pacific holdings. Koror, Palau's main state, became a bustling Japanese metropolis, with large phosphate mines and copra exports to Japan, as well as a huge foreigner population.
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Under the terms of the Compact of Free Association with the United States, Palau will receive more than $450 million in assistance over 15 years and is eligible to participate in more than 40 federal programs. The first grant of $142 million was made in 1994. Further annual payments in lesser amounts will be made through 2009. Total U.S. grant income in 2006 was $23.7 million.
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Palau was reclassified as a Pacific developing member of ADB on 16 December 2005. Since 2003, Palau has received small-scale technical assistance in support of its national planning efforts and is participating in some regional technical assistance supporting work of the National Statistics Office. Because Palau only recently became eligible for technical assistance projects and loans, no loans have been considered.
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Those words have more resonance today than ever before as Palau and the world enter into the 21St century. The Republic of Palau is enjoying rapid development that has come with its independence nine years ago this October first, However, at a time of rapid globalization when events halfway around the world, and most recently at our backyard, can profoundly affect our safety and prosperity, Palau realizes that it must join the international community in this new challenge to protect our people at home and our way of life. To this end, the Republic of Palau reaffirms its unwavering support of the war, led by the United States, against terrorism. We all benefit when nations come together to deter aggression and terrorism, to resolve conflicts, to prevent the spread of diseases, to prevent the spread of dangerous weapons, to promote democracy and human rights, to open markets and create economic and financial stability, to raise standards of living, to protect the environment-to face this myriad of challenges that no nation can meet alone.
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