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The name "Palau" originated in the Spanish Los Palaos, eventually entering English via the German Palau. An archaic name for the islands in English was the "Pelew Islands". [16] The name of the country "Palau" is most likely not derived from the Malay word "Pulau," despite the similarity in its word form.
The Palau archipelago contains more than 250 islands and islets stretched along a 150 km north south trending arc in the western Pacific. Its center is located near 7° north latitude, some 650 km north of Jayapura on the island of New Guinea , and near 134° east latitude, some 900 km east of Mindanao , Philippines.
The Pope recognized the Spanish claim, but granted economic concessions to Britain and Germany. Palau then became part of the Spanish East Indies, along with the Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the rest of the Caroline Islands. They were all administered from the Philippines. In 1885 the Spanish gained administrative control of the ...
Palau's recent history has been dominated by outside influences from Spain, Britain, Germany, Japan and the US. Palau saw some of the region's fiercest fighting in World War Two.
Palau's capital, Ngerulmud, is located on Babeldaob, in Melekeok State. Babeldaob is one of the most underdeveloped populated islands in the Pacific Ocean. The area of Babeldaob, 331 km 2 (128 sq mi), makes up over 70% of the land area of the entire Republic of Palau.
Palau is divided into sixteen administrative regions, called states. Palau has a high ratio of government offices to citizens, with 16 states and both a tribal chiefdom and elected legislature in each state, for 20,000 people. [1]
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Ngerulmud is derived from a Palauan phrase meaning "place of fermented angelfish", referring to the hill overlooking the ocean that dominates the site.The last syllable, mud, is the Palauan word for Centropyge tibicen, also known as the keyhole angelfish.