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: 22%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures : NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 78% (1998 est.)

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 : 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: 19,409 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years :26.8% (male 2,678; female 2,522)
15-64 years:68.6% (male 7,241; female 6,074)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 426; female 468) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.61% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 19.32 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.19 years
male : 66.07 years
female:72.5 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan

Ethnic groups: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races

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 (official in all of Palau's 16 states), Sonsorolese (official in the state of Sonsoral), Angaur and Japanese (in the state of Anguar), Tobi (in the state of Tobi), Palauan (in the other 13 states)

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: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

Data code: PS

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

National capital: Koror
note: a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap

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

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 (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

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

Political parties and leaders: Palau Nationalist Party, Polycarp BASILIUS

International organization participation: ESCAP, SPC, SPF, UN, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
chancery: 2000 L Street NW, Suite 407, 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 Ronald A. HARMS
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 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

GDP: purchasing power parity - $174 million (2001 est.)
note: GDP numbers reflect US spending

GDP - real growth rate:1% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 8,300 (1999)
by occupation: agriculture 20%, industry NA%, services NA% (1990)

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), some commercial fishing and agriculture

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: NA kW

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes

Exports:
total value: $11 million (f.o.b., 1999)
commodities: trochus (type of shellfish), tuna, copra, handicrafts
partners: US, Japan, Singapore

Imports:
total value : $126 million (f.o.b., 1999)
commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs
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, provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in return for furnishing military facilities

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Telephones: 6,700 (2002)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2002)

Radios: 12,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:1 (1997)

Televisions:11,000 (1997)

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 61 km
paved: 36 km
unpaved: 25 km

Ports and harbors: Koror

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 3 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2001)

Military branches: NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Disputes - international: none