Palau

Palau

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Belu'u era Belau/Republic of Palau Area 508 sq km/196 sq mi Capital Melekeok (on Babeldaob island) Language Palauan, English (both official in most states) Religion Christian, principally Roman Catholic; Modekngei (indigenous religion) Time difference GMT +9 Major holidays 1 January, 15 March, 5 May, 1 June, 9 July, 5 September, 24 October, 24 November, 25 December


GEOGRAPHY

Physical features more than 350 (mostly uninhabited) islands, islets, and atolls in the west Pacific; warm, humid climate, susceptible to typhoons Airports one international airport and two domestic airfields Railways none Roads total road network: 61 km/38 mi, of which 41% paved (many routes are inaccessible to ordinary traffic)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Tommy Remengesau from 2001 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 18 states Political parties Palau Nationalist Party (PVP); Ta Belau Party Death penalty laws do not provide for the death penalty for any crime Armed forces no defence forces of its own; under the Compact of Free Association, the USA is responsible for the defence of Palau; two US military bases operate on the islands Education spend (% GDP) 11.1 (2002 est) Health spend (% GDP) 8.4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency US dollar GDP (US$) 145 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 2 (2005 est) GNI (US$) 154 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 7,460 (2002 est) Consumer price inflation 2.7% (2005 est) Unemployment 4.2% (2005 est) Labour force 7.3%agriculture, 19.2% industry, 73.5% services (2003 est) Major trading partners USA, UK, Japan Industries processing of agricultural products, fish products, handicrafts, tourism Exports copra, coconut oil, handicrafts, trochus, tuna Imports food and live animals, crude materials, mineral fuels, beverages, tobacco, chemicals, basic manufactures, machinery and transport equipment. Principal source: USA 42.1% (2003) Arable land 8.7% (2006 est) Agricultural products coconuts, cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes; farming and fishing are mainly on a subsistence level; fishing licences are sold to foreign fleets including those of the USA, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines


POPULATION

Population 21,500 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 42 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 68 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 27%, 15–59 65%, 60+ 8% (2001 est) Ethnic groups predominantly Micronesian Life expectancy 65 (men); 69 (women) (2000–05) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 27 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 95% (1995 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 10.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 5 (2000 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 79 (urban); 94 (rural) (2002)


CHRONOLOGY

c. 1000 BC Micronesians first settled the islands. AD 1543 First visited by Spanish navigator Ruy Lopez de Villalobos. 16th century Colonized by Spain. 1899 Purchased from Spain by Germany. 1914 Occupied by Japan at the outbreak of World War I. 1920 Administered by Japan under League of Nations mandate. 1944 Occupied by USA after Japanese removed during World War II. 1947 Became part of United Nations (UN) Pacific Islands Trust Territory, administered by USA. 1981 Acquired autonomy as the Republic of Belau (Palau) under a constitution which prohibited the entry, storage, or disposal of nuclear or biological weapons. 1982 Compact of Free Association signed with USA, providing for right to maintain US military facilities in return for economic aid. The compact could not come into force since it contradicted the constitution, which could only be amended by a 75% vote in favour. 1992 Kuniwo Nakamura elected president, taking office in 1993. 1993 Referendum approved constitutional amendment allowing implementation of Compact of Free Association with USA. 1994 Independence achieved; UN membership granted. 2001 Tommy Remengesau became president. 2003 Palau signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. 2004 President Remengesau re-elected. Referendum approved constitutional changes that allowed dual citizenship, limited terms in congress to three years, and allowed president/vice-president teams to run for election. 2006 Governmental institutions began their move to Melekeok, the new capital.


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