!!!Palau %%image_right [{LeafletMap script='/scripts/leaflet/story-map.js' width='500' height='400' initmap('/storymap/palau.geojson','Palau','7.000000','134.000000',contId,7); }] %% '' The islands were first explored by Europeans in the 16th century, and were made part of the Spanish East Indies in 1574. 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. '' *There are 5 seaports in Palau. !!Tourist Attraction [There are more than 250 islands in Palau—though most people live in the capital city.|http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/palau-guide] !!National Facts * The national dish of Palau is Qabili. !References #Text marked as italic is taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau unter [CC|http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at]