As a sovereign nation

As a sovereign nation, Palau conducts its own foreign relations.^[12] 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 15 December 1994 and has since joined several other international organizations. HP Pavilion dv7-4087cl CPU Fan In September 2006, Palau hosted the first Taiwan-Pacific Allies Summit. Its President has made official visits to other Pacific countries, including the Taiwan. 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, HP Pavilion dv5-1118es CPU Fan which are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs.^[15] This has led to some ambiguity in the official status of Palau. Since 2004, Palau has joined the United States and Israel as the only nations voting consistently against an annual U.N. resolution condemning the United States embargo against Toshiba Satellite A665-S6050 CPU Fan Cuba which has been in place since 1962. In international politics, Palau often votes with the United States with respect to United Nations General Assembly resolutions.^[16] Palau is a member of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement. In 1981, Palau voted for the world's first nuclear-free constitution. This constitution banned the use, storage and disposal of nuclear, toxic chemical, gas andbiological weapons without first being approved by a 3/4 majority in a referendum.^[18] HP Pavilion G72-259WM CPU Fan This ban delayed Palau's transition to independence, because while negotiating the Compact, the U.S. insisted on the option to operate nuclear propelled vessels and store nuclear weapons within the territory.^[19] After several referendums that failed to achieve a 3/4 majority, the people of Palau finally approved the Compact in 1994. HP Pavilion dv6-3109ca  CPU  Fan On 10 June 2009, Palau announced that it would accept up to all 17 of the remaining Uyghurs detained in Guantanamo "as a humanitarian gesture”. Five Uyghur captives were released without being prosecuted in 2004 and transferred to Albania in 2006. The remaining seventeen were released due to lack of evidence in 2008.^[ HP Pavilion dv6782eg CPU Fan Stuart Beck, Palau's representative to the United Nations, published an op-ed in the New York Times disputing the widely distributed report that Palau's agreement to accept the Uyghurs was tied to Palau's receipt of US$200 million in foreign aid.Beck asserted that Palau had received funds from the USA connected with accepting the Uyghurs, but it was $90,000 per Uyghur, not "$12 million". SONY UDQF2PH52CF0 CPU Fan Beck asserted that the $90,000 was to compensate Palau for its "relocation costs" and was "to cover transportation, food, housing and medical help until the men can get oriented and get jobs". ABC Newsconfirmed that the United States would be paying Palau for each captive who was resettled and quoted a senior official who described the amount as "not very substantial".Toshiba UDQFRPH33CCM CPU Fan "The detainee transfer deal comes at a time when generous U.S. financial aid and economic development grants to Palau under a 15 year old treaty of free association between the two nations have expired. Palauan leaders apparently wanted to demonstrate their commitment to sharing mutual interests and burdens with the U.S., as they make the case for renewal of U.S. grant assistance. Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 CPU Fan\ However, Cleary also described the assertions that the captive resettlement was a straight quid pro quo as "misleading".^[30] He listed the USA's desire to continue to be able to base U.S. military personnel on Palau, to balance the growing military force of the People's Republic of China, as one complicating factor. HP Pavilion dv7-2025es CPU Fan He also listed Palau's desire for an exemption from proposed restrictions on immigration from former protectorates like Palau.An official "technical working group" from Palau traveled to Guantanamo to meet with the Uyghurs in mid-June 2009.On 23 June, the Palau government published a press release which said only eight of the thirteen Uyghurs agreed to meet with the delegation. TOSHIBA Satellite L300 CPU Fan Their report stated: "The team advised President Toribiong that in their opinion only a few of the detainees that were interviewed had any real interest in being relocated to Palau." On 30 June, Radio New Zealand International reported only one Uyghur agreed to be temporarily resettled in Palau.^[33] On 10 September, HP G62-a10EJ CPU Fan The Times reported that three of the Uyghurs have accepted the invitation to be transferred to asylum in Palau.^[34] On 19 September, Fox News reported that in the week since the first announcement three further Uyghurs agreed to be transferred to Palau.^[35] Fox reported that five of the other Uyghurs had refused to speak with Palau officials. Dell MF60100V1-Q000-G99 CPU Fan On 31 October, six Uyghurs were reported to have been transferred to Palau. Twelve of the thirteen remaining Uyghurs were offered asylum. The thirteenth man was not offered asylum because his mental health had deteriorated beyond the nation's mental health resources to care for him. The United States agreed to give Palau additional aid in January 2010.^[41] DELL R859C CPU Fan Palau had rejected an earlier aid package of US$156 million. The new aid package was for US$250 million. President Toribiong asserted that the increase in aid was unrelated to Palau agreement to host the Uyghurs. Palau's most populous islands are Angaur, Babeldaob, Koror and Peleliu. Toshiba Satellite A105-S2101 CPU Fan The latter three lie together within the same barrier reef, while Angaur is an oceanic island several miles to the south. About two-thirds of the population live on Koror. Thecoral atoll of Kayangel is north of these islands, while the uninhabited Rock Islands (about 200) are west of the main island group. SONY Vaio VGN-FW140E CPU Fan A remote group of six islands, known as the Southwest Islands, some 375 miles (604 km) from the main islands, make up the states of Hatohobei and Sonsorol. Palau has a tropical climate with an annual mean temperature of 82 °F (28 °C). Rainfall is heavy throughout the year, averaging 150 inches (3,800 mm). ACER Aspire 5730Z CPU Fan The average humidity is 82% and although rain falls more frequently between July and October, there is still much sunshine. Typhoons are rare, as Palau is outside the main typhoon zone. While much of Palau remains free of environmental degradation, areas of concern include illegal dynamite fishing, inadequate solid waste disposal facilities in Koror and extensive sand and coral dredging in the Palau lagoon. SONY Vaio VPC-EB4S1E/WI CPU Fan As with other Pacific island nations, rising sea level presents a major environmental threat. Inundation of low-lying areas threatens coastal vegetation, agriculture and already-insufficient water supply. Wastewatertreatment is a problem, along with the handling of toxic waste from fertilizers and biocides. HP Pavilion dv9580ed CPU Fan Saltwater crocodiles are also residents of Palau and occur in varying numbers throughout the various mangroves and even in parts of the beautiful rock islands. Although this species is generally considered extremely dangerous, there has only been one fatal human attack in Palau within modern history, and that was in the 1960s. Toshiba Satellite L305D-S5934 CPU Fan In Palau the largest crocodile measured in at 4.5 metres (15 ft). The nation is also vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tropical storms. Palau already has a problem with inadequate water supply and limited agricultural areas to support its population. On 5 November 2005, President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. took the lead on a regional environmental initiative called the Micronesia challenge, SONY Vaio VGN-CR31S/P CPU Fan which would conserve 30% of near shore coastal waters and 20% of forest land by 2020. Following Palau, the initiative was joined by the Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands, and theU.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Together, this combined region represents nearly 5% of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean and 7% of its coastline. HP Pavilion dv5-1210et CPU Fan On 25 September 2009, Palau announced that it would create the world's first shark sanctuary.^[43] Palau banned all commercial shark fishing within its EEZ waters. The sanctuary protects about 600,000 square kilometres (230,000 sq mi) of ocean, a similar size to France.President Johnson Toribiong announced the sanctuary at a meeting of the United Nations. SONY Vaio VGN-FW465J/B CPU Fan Palau's economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourist activity focuses on scuba divingand snorkeling in the islands' rich marine environment, including its barrier reefs walls and World War II wrecks. The government is the major employer, relying heavily on US financial assistance. HP Envy 15 CPU Fan Business and tourist arrivals numbered some 50,000 in financial year 2000/2001. The population enjoys a per capita income twice that of Micronesia as a whole. Long-term prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development. HP Pavilion dv7-1190er CPU Fan Air service has remained spotty. Palau Micronesia Air, Asian Spirit and Pacific Flier provided service to the Philippines and other destinations at various times during the 2000s, but all suspended service.^[51] In November 2006, Palau Saving Bank officially announced bankruptcy. On 13 December of the same year the Palau Horizonreported that 641 depositors had been affected. Toshiba Satellite A105-S4074 CPU Fan Among them 398 held less than $5000 USD, with the remainder ranging from $5000 to 2 million USD. On 12 December 79 affected people received compensation. Mr. Toribiong said, "The fund for the payout came from the balance of Palau government's loan from Taiwan." From a total of $1 million USD, which originally was for assisting Palau's development,  IBM MCF-208AM05-1 CPU Fan $955,000 USD was left at the time of bankruptcy. Toribiong requested the Taiwanese government use the balance to repay its loans. Taiwan agreed to the request. The compensation would include those who held less than $4,000 USD in an account.^[52] President Toribiong proposed a worldwide ban on fishing for sharks.^[45] IBM MCF-217PAM05 CPU Fan In 2012, Palau received the Future Policy Award from World Future Council, because "Palau is a global leader in protecting marine ecosystems". The population of Palau is approximately 21,000, of whom 70% are native Palauans of mixedMelanesian, Micronesian, and Austronesian descent.  HP GB0507PGV1-A CPU Fan