Palau

Airports

total: 3 usable: 3 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

Highways

22.3 km paved, some stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1991)

Ports

Koror

Telecommunications

broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN trusteeship terminates if the Compact of Free Association with the US goes into effect

Agriculture

subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes

Budget

revenues $6.0 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)

Currency

US currency is used

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2,560 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $92 million

Electricity

16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990)

Exports

$0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986) commodities: NA partners: US, Japan

External debt

about $100 million (1989)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Imports

$27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986) commodities: NA partners: US

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $31.6 million (1986) note: GDP numbers reflect US spending

National product per capita

$2,260 (1986)

National product real growth rate

NA%

Overview

The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.

Unemployment rate

20% (1986)

Area

total area: 458 km2 land area: 458 km2 comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

wet season May to November; hot and humid

Coastline

1,519 km

Environment

subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA km2

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: NA% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA%

Location

in the North Pacific Ocean, 850 km southeast of the Philippines

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m or depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals

Note

includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands

Terrain

about 200 islands varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs

Administrative divisions

there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 16 states: Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngardmau, Ngaremlengui, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngerchelong, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol, Tobi

Capital

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

Constitution

1 January 1981

Digraph

NQ

Diplomatic representation in US

administrative officer: Charles UONG, address: Palau Liaison Office, 444 North Capitol St., N.W., Suite 308, Washington, DC 20001

Elections

President: last held on 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - Kuniwo NAKAMURA 50.7%, Johnson TORIBIONG 49.3% Senate: last held 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total); number of seats by party NA House of Delegates: last held 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (16 total); number of seats by party NA

Executive branch

national president, national vice president

Flag

light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side

Independence

the last polity remaining under the US-administered UN trusteeship following the departure of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas from the trusteeship; administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, National Court, Court of Common Pleas

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Kuniwo NAKAMURA (since 1 January 1993), Vice-President Tommy E. REMENGESAU Jr. (since 1 January 1993)

Legal system

based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates

Member of

ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)

Names

conventional long form: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands conventional short form: none note: may change to Republic of Palau after independence; the native form of Palau is Belau and is sometimes used incorrectly in English and other languages

National holiday

Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

UN trusteeship administered by the US note: constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, which was never approved in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; administrative authority resides in the Department of the Interior and is exercised by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs through the Palau Office, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, J. Victor HOBSON Jr., Director (since 16 December 1990)

US diplomatic representation

director: US Liaison Officer Lloyd W. MOSS liaison office: US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror mailing address: P.O. Box 6028, Koror, PW 96940 telephone: (680) 488-2920; (680) 488-2911

Birth rate

22.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races

Infant mortality rate

25.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: NA

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.01 years male: 69.14 years female: 73.02 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 92% male: 93% female: 91%

Nationality

noun: Palauan(s) adjective: Palauan

Net migration rate

2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

16,071 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

1.84% (1993 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)

Total fertility rate

2.96 children born/woman (1993 est.)