Palau

§1. Palau Introduction

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.

§2. 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 kmē
  land: 458 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

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 kmē

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

§3. 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.)

§4. 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

§5. 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

§6. 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

§7. 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.)

§8. 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

§9. Palau Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
