Belau, Republic of, formerly Palau
Self-governing island group in Micronesia;
area 500 sq km/193 sq mi; population (1988)
14,000. It is part of the US Trust Territory,
and became internally self-governing 1980.
There are 26 larger islands (8 inhabited) and
about 300 islets. Three referendums have
shown that Belau wishes to remain
`non-nuclear', although the USA is exerting
strong pressure to secure nuclear facilities
for itself. Spain held the islands from about
1600, and sold them to Germany 1899. Japan
seized them in World War I, administered them
by League of Nations mandate, and used them
as a naval base during World War II. They
were captured by the USA 1944, and became
part of its Trust Territory 1947.