world
factbook
Palau
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.

geography

location

Oceania
7.30° N, 134. 30° E
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines

area

459 sq km
land
459 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

1,519 km

climate

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

terrain

varying topography from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs

elevation

lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0
highest point
Mount Ngerchelchuus
242

natural resources

  • forests
  • minerals
  • gold
  • marine products
  • deep-seabed minerals

land use

arable land
2.2 %
permanent crops
4.3 %
permanent pasture
4.3 %
forest
87.6 %
other
1.6 %

population distribution

most of the population is located on the southern end of the main island of Babelthuap

people

population

  • 21,685
  • 219
    global rank

nationality

  • Palauan(s)
    noun
  • Palauan
    adjective

ethnic groups

Palauan
73 %
Carolinian
2 %
Asian
21.7 %
caucasian
1.2 %
other
2.1 %

languages

  • Palauan
    official on most islands
  • other Micronesian
  • English
    official
  • Filipino
  • Chinese
  • other

religions

Roman Catholic
45.3 %
Protestant
34.9 %
Modekngei
5.7 %
Muslim
3 %
Mormon
1.5 %
other
9.7 %

birth rate

  • 11.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 174
    global rank

death rate

  • 8.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 80
    global rank

urban population

81 %

major urban areas

  • Ngerulmud
    pop. 277

life expectancy

  • 74.1
    total population
  • 136
    global rank
70.9
male
77.5
female

adult obesity rate

  • 55.3%
    percent of adults
  • 3
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Republic of Palau
    long form
  • Palau
    short form

    local

  • Beluu er a Belau
    long form
  • Belau
    short form

government type

presidential republic in free association with the US

capital

Ngerulmud
7.30 N, 134.37 E

independence

national holidays

  • Constitution Day
    9 July
  • Independence Day
    1 October

legal system

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

light blue with a large yellow disk shifted slightly to the hoist side; the blue color represents the ocean, the disk represents the moon; Palauans consider the full moon to be the optimum time for human activity; it is also considered a symbol of peace, love, and tranquility

national colors

  • blue
  • yellow

national anthem

"Belau rekid" (Our Palau)

economy

overview

The economy is dominated by tourism, fishing, and subsistence agriculture. Government is a major employer of the work force relying on financial assistance from the US under the Compact of Free Association (Compact) with the US that took effect after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994. The US provided Palau with roughly $700 million in aid for the first 15 years following commencement of the Compact in 1994 in return for unrestricted access to its land and waterways for strategic purposes. The population enjoys a per capita income roughly double that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Business and leisure tourist arrivals reached a record 167,966 in 2015, a 14.4% increase over the previous year, but fell to 138,408 in 2016. Long-run prospects for tourism have been bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of industrial East Asia, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development. Proximity to Guam, the region's major destination for tourists from East Asia, and a regionally competitive tourist infrastructure enhance Palau's advantage as a destination.

GDP

264,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • coconuts
  • cassava
  • manioc
  • tapioca
  • sweet potatoes
  • fish
  • pigs
  • chickens
  • eggs
  • bananas
  • papaya
  • breadfruit
  • calamansi
  • soursop
  • Polynesian chestnuts
  • Polynesian almonds
  • mangoes
  • taro
  • guava
  • beans
  • cucumbers
  • squash
  • pumpkins
  • various
  • eggplant
  • green onions
  • kangkong
  • watercress
  • cabbages
  • various
  • radishes
  • betel nuts
  • melons
  • peppers
  • noni
  • okra

poverty level

24.9%
2006

budget

  • 193,000,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 167,300,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 7,204
    total subscriptions
  • 200
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 24,000
    total subscriptions
  • 210
    global rank

broadcast media

no broadcast TV stations; a cable TV network covers the major islands and provides access to 4 local cable stations, rebroadcasts (on a delayed basis) of a number of US stations, as well as access to a number of real-time satellite TV channels; about a half dozen radio stations (1 government-owned) (2019)

internet

.pw
country code

    users

  • 7,650
    total
  • 36
    % of population
  • 214
    global rank

energy

electricity access

99.3%
2016

transportation

air transport

    airports

  • 3
    total
  • 1
    paved

roadways

125 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.