| 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 independent status 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 their independence. |
| Location: |
Oceania, group of
islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the
Philippines |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
7 30 N, 134 30 E |
| Area: |
total:
458 sq km
land: 458 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more
than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
extended fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Climate: |
wet season May to
November; hot and humid |
| 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
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchauus 242 m |
| Natural
resources: |
forests, minerals
(especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA% |
| Natural
hazards: |
typhoons (June to
December) |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
includes World
War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous
rock islands; archipelago of six island groups totaling over
200 islands in the Caroline chain |
| Population: |
19,092 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
26.88% (male 2,641; female 2,491)
15-64 years: 68.46% (male 7,128; female 5,943)
65 years and over: 4.66% (male 420; female 469)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.69% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
19.64
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.23 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
4.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
16.67
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 68.89 years
male: 65.77 years
female: 72.19 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.47 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Palauan
(Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70%,
Asian (mainly Filipinos, followed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and
Vietnamese) 28%, white 2% (2000 est.) |
| Religions: |
Christian
(Catholics, 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) |
| Languages: |
English and
Palauan official in all states except Sonsoral (Sonsorolese
and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are
official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are
official) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92%
male: 93%
female: 90% (1980 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Palau
conventional short form: Palau
local long form: Beluu er a Belau
local short form: Belau
former: Palau District (Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands) |
| Government
type: |
constitutional
government in free association with the US; the Compact of
Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994 |
| Capital: |
Koror; note - a
new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror |
| Administrative
divisions: |
18 states;
Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatobohei, Kayangel, Koror,
Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang,
Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Palau Island, Peleliu,
Sonsoral, Tobi |
| 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 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
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% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the
Senate (16 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 by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA; House of Delegates -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court;
National Court; Court of Common Pleas |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Palau Nationalist
Party [Johnson TORIBIONG]; Ta Belau Party [Kuniwo NAKAMURA] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, ESCAP, FAO,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, Sparteca, SPC,
SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
chancery: 1150 18th Street NW, Suite 750,
Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: the Ambassador to the Philippines is
accredited to Palau; Charge d'Affaires Allen E. NUGENT
embassy: address NA, Koror
mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of
Palau 96940
telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
FAX: [680] 488-2911 |
| Flag
description: |
light blue with a
large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly
to the hoist side |
| Economy
- overview: |
The economy
consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing.
The government is the major employer of the work force,
relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. The
population enjoys a per capita income of twice that of the
Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for
the tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the
expansion of air travel in the Pacific and the rising
prosperity of leading East Asian countries. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $129 million (1998 est.)
note: GDP numbers reflect US spending |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
-1.4% (1998 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $7,100 (1998 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
NA% |
| Labor
force: |
8,300 (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
2.3% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$57.7 million
expenditures: $80.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $17.1 million (FY98/99 est.) |
| Industries: |
tourism, craft
items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment
making |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coconuts, copra,
cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes |
| Exports: |
$14.3 million
(f.o.b., 1996) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
trochus (type of
shellfish), tuna, copra, handicrafts |
| Exports
- partners: |
US, Japan |
| Imports: |
$126 million
(f.o.b., FY99/00) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs |
| Debt
- external: |
$0 (FY99/00) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$155.8 million
(1995); note - the Compact of Free Association with the US,
entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1
October 1994, will provide Palau with up to $700 million in
US aid over 15 years in return for furnishing military
facilities |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is
used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 October - 30
September |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1,500 (1988) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
0 (1988) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 0,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
11,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.pw |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
| Highways: |
total:
61 km
paved: 36 km
unpaved: 25 km |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Military
- note: |
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 |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
