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.

Geographic coordinates: 7 30 N 134 30 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 459 km²
Rank: 196
Land: 459 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

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

Population: 20,879 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 218
Growth rate: 0.374% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 168
Below poverty line: NA%

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.9%
15-64 years: 70.8% (male 8,207/female 6,521)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 401/female 895) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.4 years
Male: 32.2 years
Female: 33 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.374% (2010 est.)
Rank: 168

Birth rate: 10.68 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 183

Death rate: 7.81 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 112

Net migration rate: 0.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 58

Urbanization
Urban population: 81% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.065 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.25 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.43 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.78 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 134
Male: 14.43 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.02 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.51 years
Rank: 129
Male: 68.36 years
Female: 74.84 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 166

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Education expenditures: 10.3% of GDP (2002)
Rank: 5

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 (2001)

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 on 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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Johnson TORIBIONG ; Vice President Kerai MARIUR (since 15 January 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Johnson TORIBIONG (since 15 January 2009); Vice President Kerai MARIUR (since 15 January 2009)
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 on 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: bicameral National Congress or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the Senate (9 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012); House of Delegates - last held on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
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 AOSIS 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: 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 300 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 consulate: Tamuning (Guam)
From the us chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires James PANOS
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 shifted slightly to the hoist side; the blue color represents the ocean the disk represents the moon; Palauans consider the full moon to be the optimum time for human activity; it is also considered a symbol of peace love and tranquility

National anthem
Name: 'Belau rekid'
Lyricsmusic: multiple/Ymesei O. EZEKIEL
Note: adopted 1980

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 85,000 in 2007. 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: GDP estimate includes US subsidy
Rank: 218
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita: $7,600 (2005 est.)
Rank: 122

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)
Rank: 215
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 4.2% (2005 est.)
Rank: 39

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.7% (2005 est.)
Rank: 85

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $15.09 million (FY03/04)
Rank: 59

Exports: $5.882 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 214
Commodities: shellfish tuna copra garments

Imports: $107.3 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 208
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels metals; foodstuffs

Debt external: $0 (FY99/00)
Rank: 197

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,100 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 207
Mobile cellular: 13,200 (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 210

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services available with a combined subscribership of roughly 100 per 100 persons
International: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2008)

Broadcast media: no television broadcast stations; a cable television network covers the major islands and provides access to rebroadcasts on a delayed basis of a number of US stations as well as access to a number of real-time satellite TV channels; about a half dozen radio stations with 1 government-owned (2009)

Internet
Country code: .pw
Hosts: 3 (2010)
Hosts rank: 229

Military expenditures: NA

Airports: 3 (2010)
Rank: 191
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2010)

Ports and terminals: Koror

Disputes international: maritime delineation negotiations continue with Philippines Indonesia