The presidential inauguration taking place in January that you don’t know about

The new president will take the oath of office at the white-domed Capitol building, which appears to be a copy of the original in Washington. Palau has no military and relies on the US for its defence, a relic of the post-Second World War when it was occupied by US troops until 1947. Palau has angered China for being one of the 15 nations to recognise Taiwan, whose government congratulated Whipps Jr when he won the presidential election. Palau is a melting pot of cultures thanks to the influence of centuries of different colonial rulers and powerful neighbours meddling in the islands’ politics. Palau’s first colonial rulers were the Spanish who conquered the Philippines in the 16th century and annexed the tiny state.