Palau

Coordinates: 7°30′N 134°30′E / 7.500°N 134.500°E / 7.500; 134.500

Palau (ⁱ/pəˈlaʊ/, historically Belau or Pelew), officially the Republic of Palau (Palauan: Beluu er a Belau), is an island country located in the western Pacific Ocean. The country's population of around 21,000 is spread across 250 islands, which form the western chain of the Caroline Islands in Micronesia. The most populous of these is Koror. The capital Ngerulmud is located on the nearby island of Babeldaob, in Melekeok State. Palau shares maritime boundaries with Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

The country was originally settled around 3,000 years ago by migrants from the Philippines and sustained a Negrito population until around 900 years ago. The islands were first visited by Europeans in the 16th century, and were made part of the Spanish East Indies in 1574. Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War in 1898, the islands were sold to Imperial Germany in 1899 under the terms of the German–Spanish Treaty, where they were administered as part of German New Guinea. The Imperial Japanese Navy conquered Palau during World War I, and the islands were later made a part of the Japanese-ruled South Pacific Mandate by the League of Nations. During World War II, skirmishes, including the major Battle of Peleliu, were fought between American and Japanese troops as part of the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign. Along with other Pacific Islands, Palau was made a part of the United States-governed Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. Having voted against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1979, the islands gained full sovereignty in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

Palau, Sardinia

Palau (Gallurese: Lu Palau) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Olbia-Tempio in the Italian region Sardinia, about 220 kilometres (140 mi) north of Cagliari and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Olbia. It was a frazione of the comune of Tempio Pausania until 1959.

It is located on Punta Sardegna, and was founded in 1875 by local shepherds.

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Palaú

Palaú is a town in the Mexican state of Coahuila. It is located on the eastern boundary of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the municipality of Múzquiz. Temperatures in the summertime can easily reach 45 degrees Celsius and the winters are mild but wet. The main industry is coal mining.

When an Austrian engineer discovered these energy riches in the late 19th century, the northern portion of Coahuila quickly transformed from a sparsely populated region of cattle ranchers to an industrial powerhouse. Thousands of Japanese immigrants came seeking work; some of their descendents, with Japanese surnames, are still here.

Coahuila coal feeds steel mills in Monclova and Monterrey, the country's third-largest city. Two coal-fired electric plants near the U.S. border supply as much as 8 percent of Mexico's electricity.

Population (INEGI 2005): 16,133 (men 8,063; women 8,070)

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Coordinates: 27°55′N 101°25′W / 27.917°N 101.417°W / 27.917; -101.417