Palau at the 2000 Summer Olympics Palau at the 2000 Summer Olympics Palau competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Palau is an island country located in the western region of the Caroline Islands, with a population of 21,431 as of July 2017. The nation gained independence in 1994 from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, under the trusteeship of the United States. The two countries also entered the Compact of Free Association that year, allowing the United States to be responsible for Palau's national defense. The Palau National Olympic Committee was formed in 1997,
Summer Olympic Games 1900 Summer Olympics were already planned for Paris and, except for the 1906 Intercalated Games, the Olympics did not return to Greece until the 2004 Summer Olympics. Four years later the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris attracted more than four times as many athletes, including 20 women, who were allowed to officially compete for the first time, in croquet, golf, sailing, and tennis. The Games were integrated with the Paris World's Fair and lasted over 5 months. It is still disputed which events exactly were "Olympic", since few or maybe even none of the events were advertised as such at