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Palau, whose official name is Republic of Palau I is an island country consisting of about three hundred forty islands of volcanic and coral origin in the Philippine Sea. The colonial powers that controlled or occupied the archipelago include Spanish, German, Japanese and American Empires. It became independent of the United States in 19943 and is one of the youngest and least populated in the world, with around 20 000 inhabitants. Its capital is Ngerulmud and its most populous city is Koror.