Portrait of Palau: An Ally of Japan in the Pacific

With an area of just 460 square kilometers and a population of some 21,500, the Pacific island nation of Palau is known for having some of the most beautiful ocean vistas in the world, as well as an exclusive economic zone of over 600,000 square kilometers. Located in the western Pacific Ocean on the periphery of East Asia, and being close to US-controlled territory of Guam, in recent years Palau has garnered growing attention in the maritime security context due to North Korean missile tests and Chinese naval exercises extending into the region. The country was once a League of Nations mandate territory governed by Japan and is a present-day ally to the Japanese. In this report we present a portrait of Palau now.