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Background:
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 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:
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Oceania, group of
islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the
Philippines |
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Geographic coordinates:
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7 30 N, 134 30 E |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 458
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 458 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more
than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,519 km |
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Climate:
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Tropical; hot and
humid; wet season May to November |
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Terrain:
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varying
geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large
barrier reefs |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m |
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Natural resources:
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forests, minerals
(especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals |
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Land use:
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arable land:
21.74%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 78.26% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons (June to
December) |
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate
facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine
ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing
practices, and overfishing |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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:
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20,016 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
26.6% (male 2,746; female 2,578)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 7,456; female 6,319)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 437; female 480) (2004
est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
31.1 years
male: 32.1 years
female: 30 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.46% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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18.69
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.89 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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2.85 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
15.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 17.07 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 69.82 years
male: 66.67 years
female: 73.15 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Palauan
(Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70%,
Asian (mainly Filipinos, followed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and
Vietnamese) 28%, white 2% (2000 est.) |
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Religions:
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Christian
(Roman Catholics 49%, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's
Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and
Latter-Day Saints), Modekngei religion (one-third of the
population observes this religion, which is indigenous to
Palau) |
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Languages:
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English and
Palauan official in all states except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese
and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are
official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are
official) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92%
male: 93%
female: 90% (1980 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Palau
conventional short form: Palau
local short form: Belau
former: Palau District (Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands)
local long form: Beluu er a Belau |
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Government type:
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constitutional
government in free association with the US; the Compact of
Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994 |
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Capital:
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Koror; note - a
new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror |
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Administrative divisions:
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16 states;
Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatobohei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok,
Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar,
Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsoral |
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Independence:
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1 October 1994
(from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) |
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National holiday:
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Constitution Day,
9 July (1979) |
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Constitution:
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1 January 1981 |
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Legal system:
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based on Trust
Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common,
and customary laws |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19
January 2001) and Vice President Sandra PIERANTOZZI (since 19
January 2001); 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) and Vice President Sandra
PIERANTOZZI (since 19 January 2001); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: president and vice president elected on
separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. elected
president; percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. 53%,
Peter SUGIYAMA 46%; Sandra PIERANTOZZI elected vice president;
percent of vote - Sandra PIERANTOZZI 52%, Alan SEID 45% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Parliament 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 7 November 2000 (next to
be held NA November 2004); House of Delegates - last held 7
November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA%; seats
- independents 9; House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA%;
seats - independents 16 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court;
National Court; Court of Common Pleas |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281
telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
chancery: 1800 K Street NW, Suite 714, Washington, DC
20006 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: the Ambassador to the Philippines is accredited
to Palau
embassy: address NA, Koror
mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau
96940
telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
FAX: [680] 488-2911 |
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Economy - overview:
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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.
Business and tourist arrivals numbered 50,000 in FY00/01. The
population enjoys a per capita income twice 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $174 million
note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $9,000 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.4% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9,845 (2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 20%,
industry NA%, services NA% (1990) |
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Unemployment rate:
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2.3% (2000 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$57.7 million
expenditures: $80.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $17.1 million (FY98/99 est.) |
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Industries:
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tourism, craft
items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production by source:
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NA |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts, copra,
cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes |
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Exports:
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$18 million
f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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shellfish, tuna,
copra, garments |
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Exports - partners:
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US, Japan,
Singapore (2000) |
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Imports:
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$99 million
f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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US, Guam, Japan,
Singapore, Korea (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$0 (FY99/00) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$155.8 million ;
note - the Compact of Free Association with the US, entered
into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994,
provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years
in return for furnishing military facilities |
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Currency:
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US dollar (USD) |
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Currency code:
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USD |
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Exchange rates:
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the US dollar is
used |
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Fiscal year:
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1 October - 30
September |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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6,700 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,000 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 680; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 4,
shortwave 1 (2002) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.pw |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 61
km
paved: 36 km
unpaved: 25 km |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Koror |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular
military forces; Police Force |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA% |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free Association
between Palau and the US, the US military is granted access to
the islands for 50 years |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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