Palau shares maritime boundaries with international waters to the north, the Federated States of Micronesia to the east, Indonesia to the south, and the Philippines to the northwest.

[10][11] Palau was first drawn on a European map by the Bohemian missionary Paul Klein[12] based on a description given by a group of Palauans shipwrecked on the Philippine coast on Samar.

Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War in 1898, the islands were sold to Germany in 1899 under the terms of the German–Spanish Treaty, where they were administered as part of German New Guinea.

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.

Politically, Palau is a presidential republic in free association with the United States, which provides defense, funding, and access to social services.

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.

[19] In December 1696, a group of sailors from the Caroline Islands were stranded on Samar, near Guiuan, when they met European missionary Paul Klein.

Klein sent the map to Jesuit Superior General, along with a letter detailing the names of the islands, the culture of the people, and his experiences with them.

The expedition ended with the stranding of the two priests, Jacques Du Beron and Joseph Cortyl, on the coast of Sonsorol, because the mother ship Santísima Trinidad was driven to Mindanao by a storm.

Following World War I, the League of Nations formally placed the islands under Japanese administration as part of the South Seas Mandate.

Palau, the westernmost cluster of the Carolines, instead opted for independent status in 1978, which was widely supported by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan.

[29] In 2005, Palau led the Micronesia Challenge, which would conserve 30% of near-shore coastal waters and 20% of forest land of participating countries by 2020.

The government has agreed to host a large United States Air Force high-frequency radar station in Palau, an over-the-horizon-radar system costing well over $100 million, which is expected to be operational in 2026.

[26] Since independence, Palau has established diplomatic relations with numerous countries, including many of its Pacific neighbors, like Micronesia and the Philippines.

[41] The United States maintains a diplomatic delegation and an embassy in Palau, but most aspects of the countries' relationship have to do with compact-funded projects, which are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs.

This constitution banned the use, storage, and disposal of nuclear, toxic chemical, gas, and biological weapons without first being approved by a 75 percent majority in a referendum.

These are listed below with their areas (in square kilometers) and 2015 and 2020 Census populations: Historically, Palau's Rock Islands have been part of the State of Koror.

[60] In the view of Islands Society president Michael Walsh, Palau is a key example of the successes of modern state-building in the Indo-Pacific region.

Palau is hugely reliant on international aid, as demonstrated by President Surangel Whipps Jr address to the UN General Assembly in 2021.

[67][clarification needed] Inundation of low-lying areas threatens coastal vegetation, agriculture, and an already insufficient water supply.

One species of saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, is indigenous to Palau, occurring in varying numbers throughout the mangroves and in parts of the Rock Islands.

Although this species is generally considered extremely dangerous, there has only been one fatal human attack, on 28 December 1965, in Palau in modern history.

[69] On 5 November 2005, President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. took the lead on a regional environmental initiative called the Micronesia Challenge, which would conserve 30% of near-shore coastal waters and 20% of forest land by 2020.

Tourist activity focuses on scuba diving and snorkeling in the islands' rich marine environment, including its barrier reefs' walls and World War II wrecks.

Long-term prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific Rim, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development.

The six-hour flight operated by B-737 aircraft depart Brisbane on Tuesdays at 23:30, arriving at Palau International Airport on the main island of Babeldaob at 04:30.

Most Palauans of Asian origin came during the late 20th century with many Chinese, Bangladeshis, and Nepalese coming to Palau as unskilled workers and professionals.

According to the 2020 census, 46.9% of the population is Roman Catholic, 25.9% Protestant (primarily evangelical), 5% Seventh-day Adventist, 5.1% Modekngei, 4.9% Muslim, 0.9% the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and 11.4% other religions.

However, following Japan's World War II defeat, the remaining Japanese largely converted to Christianity, while some continued to observe Buddhism but stopped practicing Shinto rites.

For further undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, students travel abroad to attend tertiary institutions, primarily in the United States.