Grand Valley's alumni relations director, Nancee Miller (right) met on
Capitol Hill with Palau President Tommy Remengesau -- the first Grand
Valley alumnus to become a head of state.
The reception took place on Tuesday, March 11 and was hosted by a group
of U.S. Congressmen and the ambassador of Palau to the U.S., Hersey Kyota.
'It was fun and President Remengesau was exceedingly gracious. His first
question to me was, 'How are the Lakers doing?'' Miller said.
About Palau
Palau is located at the western end of the Caroline Archipelago in the
Western Pacific and it is comprised of 200 islands, of which only nine
are inhabited. The nearest landmasses are Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines and Guam. The total landmass is 170 square miles and the
population is 18,500. It has been a sovereign nation since 1994 and
consists of 16 states. It has a bicameral legislature and American-style
democracy with three branches of government. It is a member of the
Compact of Free Association with the United States, and the currency is
the U.S. dollar.
In 1999 visitor arrivals were predicted to be 68,200. Palau has some
of the most beautiful diving and snorkeling waters and reefs in the
world. The 2000 gross domestic product was forecast to be $144.4
million. Income sources include Compact payments, tourism, services,
trade and subsistence fishing and agriculture.
State Visit
Mar 26, 2002
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