Ben E. Hama's definitions
palau is a tiny island nation in the pacific, with a population of only about 20,000 people. it was colonized by various powers between the 1600s and late 20th century, including the Spanish, Germans, British, Japanese, and Americans. however, no foreign power really did anything to help or harm the region. a huge WWII battle occured here, and following the end of the war, the US was put in charge of the region. palau refused to join the country of micronesia when it was formed in the 1970s. after political chaos, it finally became independent in 1994.
by Ben E. Hama February 7, 2007
Get the palau mug.commonly known as PNG, papua new guinea is an island nation in oceania, consisting of part of the huge island of new guinea, which it shares with indonesia. once a portuguese, and later german and then australian territory, it became independent in the 1970s. it is currently the most rural country in the world, with most people outside of the capital of port mosebly either working as subsistant farmers or living in traditional tribes.
by Ben E. Hama February 7, 2007
Get the papua new guinea mug.a very wealthy middle eastern nation that is rolling in oil and banking dough. a former british colony, it is made up of 7 emirs, or provinces ruled by sultans. the nation usually known as the uae is the most liberal mid eastern nation, with western culture and products circulating throughout. however, the nation is still for the most part a kingdom. the country's claims to fame are a company from the city of dubai attempting to buy US ports, the comic strip character garfield's constant attempts to send his cousin nermal to the city of abi daubi, and human rights violations of foreign workers and the poor.
the united arab emirates looks like a wealthy westernized nation on the outside, but if you take a closer look, it's just saudi arabia minus some fanaticism.
by Ben E. Hama February 7, 2007
Get the United Arab Emirates mug.a little pacific island company, vanuatu was colonized by the spanish, french, and british over its history. it became independent in 1980, and it has seen coups and countercoups ever since. vanuatu is the ultimate tax haven and it has little business regulations. questionable companies tend to incorporate here.
by Ben E. Hama February 7, 2007
Get the vanuatu mug.yemen is a middle eastern nation that isn't wealthy because it lacks oil. the nation was once part of the old ottoman empire. after wwi, the the northern part became an independent faux republic, while the south remained a british colony. south yemen became independent in the '60s as a communist state. they united in 1990 and have been a country filled with drought, civil war, and political corruption ever since. its close distance to africa has lead to vicitms of wars in both the mid east and africa fleeing back and forth between the 2 continents through yemen.
by Ben E. Hama February 7, 2007
Get the yemen mug.the country in africa where the slave trade originated from over 500 years ago. the portuguese colonized this place until a bloody civil war in the 1950s. the nation then saw several coups, autocratic governments, and a long civil war in the 1990s. ginnea-bissau is most famous for ruler kumba yala's attempts to move the capital. in a deplorably poor country, yala spent a fortune attempting to build the small rural village where he was born into a grand capital.
by Ben E. Hama February 6, 2007
Get the guinea-bissau mug.an african country located along the great rift valley. it's a former british colony. very densely populated, but with one of the world's lowest life expectacies. it was a single party state until democracy came recently. 30% of the population is currently suffering from famine.
by Ben E. Hama February 6, 2007
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