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Background:
| Palau | Geography |
| Location: | Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines |
| Geographic coordinates: | 7 30 N, 134 30 E |
| Map references: | Oceania |
| 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 |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 1,519 km |
| 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% |
| Irrigated land: | NA sq km |
| 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 |
| Palau | People |
| 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 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 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.) |
| Palau | Government |
| 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 |
| Palau | Economy |
| 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 |
| Imports - partners: | US |
| 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) |
| Currency code: | USD |
| Exchange rates: | the US dollar is used |
| Fiscal year: | 1 October - 30 September |
| Palau | Communications |
| 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) |
| Radios: | 12,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1997) |
| Televisions: | 11,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .pw |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | NA |
| Palau | Transportation |
| Railways: | 0 km |
| Highways: |
total:
61 km
paved: 36 km unpaved: 25 km |
| Waterways: | none |
| Ports and harbors: | Koror |
| Merchant marine: | none (2000 est.) |
| Airports: | 3 (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.) |
| Palau | Military |
| Military branches: | NA |
| 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 |
| Palau | Transnational Issues |
| Disputes - international: | none |
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