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2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Palau
n 1: a republic in the western central Pacific Ocean in
association with the United States [syn: {Republic of
Palau}, {TT}]
2: a chain of more than 200 islands about 400 miles long in the
western central Pacific Ocean [syn: {Palau Islands}, {Belau},
{Pelew}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Palau
Introduction Palau
------------------
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 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 Palau
---------------
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 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 458 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than 2.5 times the
size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,519 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM
extended fishing zone: 200 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 Ngerchelchuus
242 m
Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold),
marine products, deep-seabed
minerals
Land use: arable land: 21.74%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 78.26% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: westernmost archipelago in the
Caroline chain, consists of six
island groups totaling more than 300
islands; includes World War II
battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu)
and world-famous rock islands
People Palau
------------
Population: 19,409 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.8% (male 2,678;
female 2,522)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 7,241;
female 6,074)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 426;
female 468) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.61% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 19.32 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.19 years
female: 72.5 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.07 years
Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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 (Roman Catholics 49%,
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.)
Government Palau
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Palau
conventional short form: Palau
local short form: Belau
former: Palau District (Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands)
local long form: Beluu er a Belau
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: 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur,
Hatobohei, Kayangel, Koror,
Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong,
Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar,
Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu,
Sonsoral
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
(9 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 - NA%; seats - independents
9; House of Delegates - percent of
vote - NA%; seats - independents 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; National Court; Court
of Common Pleas
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
participation: IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, Sparteca,
SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey
KYOTA
FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281
telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
chancery: 1150 18th Street NW, Suite
750, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: the Ambassador to
US: the Philippines is accredited to
Palau; Charge d'Affaires Ronald A.
HARMS
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
Economy Palau
-------------
Economy - overview: The economy consists primarily of
tourism, subsistence agriculture and
fishing. The government is the major
employer of the work force, relying
heavily on financial assistance from
the US. Business and tourist
arrivals numbered 50,000 in FY00/01.
The population enjoys a per capita
income twice that of the Philippines
and much of Micronesia. Long-run
prospects for the key tourist sector
have been greatly bolstered by the
expansion of air travel in the
Pacific, the rising prosperity of
leading East Asian countries, and
the willingness of foreigners to
finance infrastructure development.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $174
million (2001 est.)
note: GDP numbers reflect US
spending
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,000
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 8,300 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 20%, industry NA%,
services NA% (1990)
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: $11 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: shellfish, tuna, copra, garments
Exports - partners: US, Japan, Singapore
Imports: $126 million (f.o.b., 1999)
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, provides 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
Communications Palau
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 6,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,000 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2002)
Radios: 12,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 11,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .pw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002)
Transportation Palau
--------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 61 km
paved: 36 km
unpaved: 25 km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Koror
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2001)
Military Palau
--------------
Military branches: NA
Military expenditures - dollar $NA
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of NA%
GDP:
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
Transnational Issues Palau
--------------------------
Disputes - international: none
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