Located to the west of the Philippines, the two hundred or so volcanic and coral islands that make up the Pacific nation of Palau are home to around 20,000 people, most of whom are of mixed Melanesian, Micronesian and Austronesian descent.

Europeans, in the shape of British traders, are said to have first visited the islands in the 18th century. Spain, Germany and Japan subsequently controlled Palau before the United States wrested control from Tokyo in 1944 following the Battle of Peleliu, when more than 10,000 men were killed in combat.

Baseball and Football are both popular sports in Palau and tourist activities include scuba diving and snorkelling. Golf, unfortunately, has still to make its mark.