Map of Palau | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986 but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year when the islands gained independence.


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Location: Oceania group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean southeast of the Philippines

Geographic coordinates: 7 30 N 134 30 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 458 km²
Land: 458 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1519 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Terrain: varying geologically from the high mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m

Natural resources: forests minerals (especially gold) marine products deep-seabed minerals

Land use
Arable land: 8.7%
Permanent crops: 4.35%
Other: 86.95% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)

Geography
Note: westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands


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Population: 21,093 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.157% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Palauan
Adjective: Palauan

Ethnic groups: Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9% Filipino 15.3% Chinese 4.9% other Asian 2.4% white 1.9% Carolinian 1.4% other Micronesian 1.1% other or unspecified 3.2% (2000 census)

Languages: Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official) Tobi (Tobi and English are official) and Angaur (Angaur Japanese and English are official) Filipino 13.5% English 9.4% Chinese 5.7% Carolinian 1.5% Japanese 1.5% other Asian 2.3% other languages 1.5% (2000 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 41.6% Protestant 23.3% Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous to Palau) Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3% Jehovah's Witness 0.9% Latter-Day Saints 0.6% other 3.1% unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 2,797/female 2,637)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,864/female 6,779)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 482/female 534) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 32.3 years
Male: 33.3 years
Female: 31.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.157% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 17.4 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 6.73 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging illegal fishing practices and overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male/female
Total population: 1.12 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.69 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 15.37 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.9 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71 years
Male: 67.82 years
Female: 74.36 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 10.3% of GDP (2002)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 92%
Male: 93%
Female: 90% (1980 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2000)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Palau
Conventional short form: Palau
Local long form: Beluu er a Belau
Local short form: Belau
Former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District

Government type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994

Capital
Name: Melekeok
Geographic coordinates: 7 29 N, 134 38 E
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 16 states; Aimeliik Airai Angaur Hatohobei Kayangel Koror Melekeok Ngaraard Ngarchelong Ngardmau Ngatpang Ngchesar Ngeremlengui Ngiwal Peleliu Sonsorol

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Constitution Day 9 July (1979)

Constitution: 1 January 1981

Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws acts of the legislature municipal common and customary laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19 January 2001); Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19 January 2001); Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
Election results: Johnson TORIBIONG (51%) defeats Elias Camsek CHIN (49%) for president; Kerai MARIUR elected vice president

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2008)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9; House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 16

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Common Pleas; Land Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ACP ADB FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFC IFRCS IMF IOC IPU MIGA OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
In the us chancery: 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20,006
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 452-6,814
In the us fax: [1] (202) 452-6,281
In the us consulates general: Honolulu
In the us consulates: Tamuning (Guam)
From the us chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Mark BEZNER
From the us embassy: Koror (no street address)
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 6,028, Republic of Palau 96,940
From the us telephone: [680] 488-2,920, 2,990
From the us fax: [680] 488-2,911

Flag description: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy consists primarily of tourism subsistence agriculture and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. The Compact of Free Association with the US entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994 provided Palau with up to $700 million in US aid for the following 15 years in return for furnishing military facilities. Business and tourist arrivals numbered 63,000 in 2003. The population enjoys a per capita income roughly 50% higher than that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development.

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Note: GDP estimates includes US subsidy (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 5.5% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $7,600 (2005 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.2%
Industry: 12%
Services: 81.8% (2003)

Agriculture products: coconuts copra cassava (tapioca) sweet potatoes; fish

Industries: tourism craft items (from shell wood pearls) construction garment making

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 9,777 (2005)
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 4.2% (2005 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $72.07 million
Expenditures: $72.43 million (FY04/05 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.7% (2005 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $15.09 million (FY03/04)

Exports: $5.882 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: shellfish tuna copra garments
Partners: US Japan Singapore (2006)

Imports: $107.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels metals; foodstuffs
Partners: US Singapore Japan South Korea (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $0 (FY99/00)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 6,700 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 1000 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .pw
Hosts: 0 (2008)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2007)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Note: estimated to have 60 km of roads as of 1996

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Koror


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Disputes international: maritime delineation negotiations continue with Philippines Indonesia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs