Factbook
Histoire de Palaos — Chronologie
Dates clés de l'histoire de Palaos, d'après le Factbook Magna et l'Encyclopédie universelle.
1899Spain sold Palau to Germany in 1899 after losing the Philippines in the Spanish-American War.
1914Japan seized Palau in 1914, was granted a League of Nations mandate to administer the islands in 1920, and made Koror the capital of its South Seas Mandate in 1922.
1944In 1944, the US invasion of the island of Peleliu was one of the bloodiest island fights of the Pacific War.
1978Palau voted against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1978 and adopted its own constitution in 1981, which stated that Palau was a nuclear-free country.
1982In 1982, Palau signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted Palau financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities.
1993Following a constitutional amendment and eighth referendum in 1993, the COFA was ratified and entered into force in 1994 when the islands gained their independence.
1994Independence: 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship).
2011In 2011, Palau banned commercial shark fishing and created the world’s first shark sanctuary.
2015Languages: Palauan (official on most islands) 65.2%, other Micronesian 1.9%, English (official) 19.1%, Filipino 9.9%, Chinese 1.2%, other 2.8% (2015 est.) Religions: Roman Catholic 46.9%, Protestant 30.9% (Evangelical 24.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, other Protestant 1.4%), Modekngei 5.1% (indigenous to Palau), Muslim 4.9%, other 12.3% (2020 est.) Urban population: 82.4% of total population (2023).
2017In 2017, Palau began stamping the Palau Pledge into passports, reminding visitors to act in ecologically and culturally responsible ways.
2018Major urban areas: 277 NGERULMUD (capital) (2018) high-income Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; subsistence agriculture and fishing industries; US aid reliance; rebounding post-pandemic tourism industry and services sector; very high living standard and low unemployment Inflation: 2.2% (2024 est.).
2020In 2020, Palau banned coral reef-toxic sunscreens and expanded its fishing prohibition to include 80% of its exclusive economic zone.
2022Industries: tourism, fishing, subsistence agriculture Agriculture: coconuts, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish, pigs, chickens, eggs, bananas, papaya, breadfruit, calamansi, soursop, Polynesian chestnuts, Polynesian almonds, mangoes, taro, guava, beans, cucumbers, squash/p Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
