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,
Libya at the 2000 Summer Olympics number of Libyans at any one Summer Olympics was 29 at the 1980 Moscow Games. There were three male athletes in the Libyan team for the 2000 Summer Olympics, one in athletics, one in judo and one in taekwondo. The nation had been represented by judokas previously at the 1992 Games, but it was the first time that a Libyan had competed in taekwondo at the Summer Olympics which became an official Olympic sport at the 2000 Games. Adel Edeli was the only competitor in athletics for Libya at the 2000 Summer Olympics; he took part in the men's marathon