Palau

The island nation the Republic of Palau is situated in the Pacific Ocean, at the east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. It is one of the youngest and smallest nations in the world. Leaving United Nations trusteeship, Palau entered into the Compact of Free Association with the United States in 1994. Melekeok is the capital of Palau.

HISTORY:- The inhabitants of Indonesia were believed to migrate into the region around the 2500 B.C. The Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos was the first European to enter in the region in 1543. Palau, as a part of the Spanish East Indies, remained under the Spanish control for more than 300 years. Following the defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American War, the islands of the region were sold to Germany in 1899. The control of the islands was passed to Japan in 1914 under the Treaty of Versailles. The League of Nations granted a Japanese mandate over Palau in 1920. After the World War II, Palau became a UN trusteeship within the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947 under the US administration. Palau signed a Compact of Free Association with the U.S in 1992. In 1994, Palau declared independence under the Compact of Free Association.

GEOGRAPHY:- The archipelago of Palau mainly comprises Angaur, Babeldaob, Koror, and Peleliu. Palau is located at 7 30 N, 134 30 E in the Oceania. The total area of the islands is 458 sq km. The coastline is 1,519 km long along with the North Pacific Ocean. The lowest point is Pacific Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is Mount Ngerchelchuus (242 m). The islands range from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands, fringed by large barrier reefs.

CLIMATE:- The climate of Palau is tropical, hot and humid.  The rainy season persists from May to November. Palau is located outside of the typhoon zone.

GOVERNMENT:- Palau has a constitutional government in free association with the US since 1994. The constitution was adopted on 1st January 1981. The legal system is based on the Trust Territory laws, the acts of the legislature, the municipal, the common, and the customary laws. The three major branches of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state and head of government), the Vice President. The president and vice president are elected on separate tickets by popular vote on 4-year terms.

Legislative branch comprises the bicameral National Congress or Olbiil Era Kelulau, consists of the Senate (9 seats) and the House of Delegates (16 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court, the National Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Land Court.

 There is no political party in Palau. Suffrage is universal at the age of 18.

President                            Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr.

Vice President                     Elias Camsek Chin

Ambassador to the U.S.      Hersey Kyota

Ambassador to the UN        Stuart Beck

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Palau is divided into 16 states: Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, and Sonsorol.

CULTURE:- Micronesian music is prominent in the music of Palau. The Belau National Museum and a small public library are located at Koror.

ECONOMY:- The economy of Palau mostly depends on tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. Palau received $700 million as US aid under the Compact of Free Association with the US.

GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $124.5 million note: includes US subsidy; per capita $7,600 (2005 est.).

Real growth rate: 5.5% (2005 est.).

Inflation: 2.7% (2005 est.).

Unemployment: 4.2% (2005 est.).

Arable land: 9%.

Agriculture: Coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish.

Labor force: 9,777 (2005); agriculture 20%, industry n.a., services n.a. (1990).

Budget:  

Revenues: $72.07 million

Expenditures: $72.43 million (FY04/05 est.)

Debt - external: $0 (FY99/00)

Industries: Tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making.

Natural resources: Forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals.

Exports: $5.882 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): shellfish, tuna, copra, garments.

Imports: $107.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs.

Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, Singapore, Guam, South Korea (2004).

Monetary unit: U.S. dollar.

LANGUAGE:- English and Palauan are the official languages of Palauan spoken by 64.7%.

Palauan is official in all islands except Sonsoral where Sonsoralese and English are official languages, Tobi and English are official in Tobi, and Angaur, Japanese, and English are official in Angaur. Other languages are Filipino (13.5%), English (9.4%), Chinese (5.7%), Carolinian (1.5%), Japanese (1.5%), other Asian (2.3%), and other languages (1.5%) (2000)

CITIES:- The capital city of Palau is Melekeok while Koror is the largest city of the country.

POPULATION:- The estimated population of Palau is 20,842 with an average growth rate of 1.2%.

Density per sq mi: 118

Literacy rate: 92% (1980 est.).

RACE:- The majority ethnic group of Palau is Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) (69.9%). Other ethnic groups are Filipino (15.3%) Chinese (4.9%), other Asian (2.4%), white (1.9%), Carolinian (1.4%), other Micronesian (1.1%), and unspecified 3.2% (2000)

RELIGION:-

Roman Catholic 41.6%

Protestant 23.3%

Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous to Palau)

Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%

Jehovah's Witness 0.9%

Latter-Day Saints 0.6%

Other 3.1%

Unspecified or none 16.4% (2000)

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 17.4 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 13.69 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71 years

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 901

UNICEF:- UNICEF’s Child Protection Programme fights against violence against children. UNICEF and its partners provide psychosocial support to social, environmental or political conflict-affected children. UNICEF’s Adolescent Development and Child Health Programme promotes awareness on HIV among the youth, trains the youth to enhance their skills. Teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and trafficking of children are the major issues with the country. UNICEF supplies vaccines at a low cost. UNICEF partners with civil registrars and health ministries to assist them in birth registration.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: 0 km.

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

Ports and harbors: Koror.

Airports: 3 (2007).