| Also on Encarta |
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| Basic Facts |
| Official name |
Republic of Palau |
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| Capital |
Koror |
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| Area |
488 sq km |
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188 sq mi |
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| Largest cities (population) |
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| Koror |
14,000 (2003 estimate) |
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| Palauan Flag and Anthem |
 Expand |
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| People |
| Population |
21,093 (2008 estimate) |
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| Population growth rate |
1.16 per cent (2008 estimate) |
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| Population density |
46 persons per sq km (2008 estimate) |
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119 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate) |
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| Urbanization |
Not available |
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| Per cent urban |
70 per cent (2003 estimate) |
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| Per cent rural |
30 per cent (2003 estimate) |
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| Life expectancy |
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| Total |
71 years (2008 estimate) |
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| Female |
74.4 years (2008 estimate) |
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| Male |
67.8 years (2008 estimate) |
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| Infant mortality rate |
| 14 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate) |
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| Literacy rate |
| Total |
92 per cent (1980) |
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| Female |
90 per cent (1980) |
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| Male |
93 per cent (1980) |
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| Ethnic divisions |
| Palauans (a mix of Malay, Melanesian, Polynesian); Filipino, Chinese |
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| Languages |
| Palauan (official except in Sonsorol, Tobi, Angaur), English (official), Sonsorol (official in Sonsorol), Tobian (official in Tobi), Japanese (official in Angaur) |
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| Religions |
| Roman Catholic, Protestant, Modekngei, other |
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| Government |
| Type of government |
Self-governing territory in free association with the United States pursuant to the Compact of Free Association of 1 October 1994; Palau is fully responsible for internal affairs; the United States retains responsibility for external affairs |
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| Independence |
October 1, 1994 (from the United States-administered United Nations [UN] trusteeship) |
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| Constitution |
January 1, 1981 |
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| Voting rights |
Universal at age 18 |
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| Economy |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$) |
| 157 million (2006) |
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| GDP per capita (US$) |
7,784.70 (2006) |
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| GDP by economic sector |
| GDP, agriculture |
3.1 per cent (2005) |
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| GDP, industry |
19 per cent (2005) |
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| GDP, services |
76.9 per cent (2005) |
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| National budget (US$) |
| Total revenue |
Not available |
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| Total expenditure |
Not available |
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| Monetary unit |
| 1 United States dollar (US$), consisting of 100 cents |
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| Exports |
| Trochus (a type of shellfish), tuna, copra, handicrafts |
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| Imports |
| Foodstuffs and manufactured goods, including beverages, tobacco, fuels, animal and vegetable oils and fats, chemicals, machinery |
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| Major trading partners for exports |
| Japan, United States |
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| Major trading partners for imports |
| United States, Japan |
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| Industries |
| Tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), commercial fishing and agriculture |
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| Agriculture |
| Subsistence-level production of coconut, cassava, sweet potatoes |
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| Natural resources |
| Forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, marine minerals |
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| Sources |
| Basic Facts and People sections |
| Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org). |
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| Health and Education section |
| Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). |
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| Government section |
| Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance. |
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| Economy section |
| Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications. |
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| Energy, Communication, and Transportation section |
| Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). |
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| Note |
| Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding. |
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