Palau,officially the Republic of Palau,is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific. The republic consists of approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caroline Islands with parts of the Federated States of Micronesia.
Koror is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic of Palau. It consists of several islands,the most prominent being Koror Island. It is Palau’s most populous state.
Kuniwo Nakamura was a Palauan politician who served as the President of Palau from 1993 to 2001. He had earlier served as Vice President of Palau from 1989 to 1993,under Ngiratkel Etpison.
Roman Tmetuchl was a Palauan political leader and businessman. He grew up in Japanese-controlled Palau and joined the Kempeitai,the Japanese secret police,during World War II. After the war,he became the leader of Palau's Liberal Party. He worked in the Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1964 to 1978 and advocated for Palau gaining a separate status from the rest of Micronesia. He became governor of Airai and engaged in three unsuccessful Palauan presidential campaigns. As a businessman,Tmetuchl led several construction projects for his business holdings and for the Palauan community,including the Palau International Airport and a Seventh-Day Adventist clinic.
Chinese have been settling in Palau in small numbers since the 19th century. The early settlers consisted of traders and labourers,and often intermarried with Palauan women. Their offspring quickly assimilated with the local populace and generally identify themselves as Palauan. In recent years,Palau has seen a growing expatriate business community from Taiwan,after Palau established formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1999.
Diplomatic relations are maintained between Japan and Palau,a small island country in the western Pacific Ocean that was once a Japanese colony. There is a Japanese embassy on the Palauan island of Koror and a Palauan embassy in Tokyo.
Yositaka "Yosi" Adachi is a Palauan politician. He was the Governor of Koror for 3 consecutive terms from 2006 until 2018 when he stepped down due to the term limits imposed by the constitution of Koror.
Francisco Bares Gibbons is a Palauan politician. In January 2018,he became the youngest Governor of Koror. He previously held the position of Vice Speaker of Koror.
The governor of Koror is the head of government of Koror. The position was established in 1998 and succeeded the position of executive administrator.
Yutaka Miller Gibbons was the ibedul of Koror from 1973 until his death in 2021. He was also an anti–nuclear weapons activist and political candidate.
Palau has several traditional chiefs of its 16 states. A factor that resulted in the decline of chiefly authority in Palau was the introduction of elected governors,called upon in the Constitution of Palau which came into effect on 1 January 1981.
Abba Thulle was the ibedul,'paramount chief' of Koror whom the sailor Henry Wilson and his crew met on their voyage to Palau in 1783. His second son Prince Lee Boo became one of the first people from the Pacific Islands to visit Great Britain,but died six months after he departed. He learned of his son's death when Captain John McCluer later visited the islands. Andrew Cheyne wrote about his encounter with Abba Thulle in the book A description of islands in the western Pacific ocean,north and south of the equator. William Lisle Bowles wrote a poem about him entitled Abba Thule's Lament For His Son Prince Le Boo. A horse was named after him that later won the Doncaster Cup in 1790.
Palau–Taiwan relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of Palau and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Palau maintains an embassy in Taipei and Taiwan maintains an embassy in Koror City. Exchanges between the two nations range from agriculture,culture,education,fishery,medical services,tourism and water supply infrastructure. As of 23 August 2024,Palau is one of only 12 United Nations member states to have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The following lists events that happened during 2021 in the Republic of Palau.
The following lists events that happened during 2022 in the Republic of Palau.
Eyos Rudimch is a Palauan politician. He was sworn in as Governor of Koror on January 11,2022 after winning the November 2021 election. He previously held the position of Speaker of Koror. He has a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Guam.
Jackson R. Ngiraingas is a Palauan politician and businessman who served as Governor of Peleliu from 1995 to 2001 and 2004 to 2009. He resigned during his fourth term to become Minister of Public Infrastructure from 2009 to 2013.
Alexander Merep is the High Chief (ibedul) of Koror in the Republic of Palau.
Gloria Salii is the bilung of Koror which is the female counterpart of ibedul and highest ranking female chief title in Palau.
There was a succession dispute following the death of Yutaka Gibbons,the ibedul of the state of Koror,Palau,on November 4,2021. Gibbons' younger siblings,rechucher-ra-techekii Alexander Merep and bilung Gloria Salii,both initially claimed the title,but Salii would later relent her claim in favour of her son,James Lebuu Littler. Merep was accepted as ibedul by the traditional chiefs of Koror and the Council of Chiefs,although Salii maintains that her son is the ibedul.
