Country Details
| Land Area |
458 sq km |
Population |
19129 |
| Capital City |
Koror; note - a new capital is being built about 2 |
People |
Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70%, Asian (mainly Filipinos, followed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese) 28%, white 2% (2000 est.) |
| Language |
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) |
Religion |
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) |
| Government Type |
constitutional government in free association with |
Life Expectancy |
68.89 years |
| HIV/AIDS Rate |
NA% |
GNP per Capita |
$7,100 |
| Currency |
US dollar (USD) |
Major Exports |
trochus (type of shellfish), tuna, copra, handicra |
| National Holiday |
Constitution Day, 9 July (1979) |
Dialing Code |
680 |
| Electricity |
|
Malaria Risk |
|
| Water Quality |
|
Inoculations |
|
| Crime |
|
Driving License |
|
| Photography |
|
Entry Regs |
|
| Time Zone |
GMT+9 |
|
|
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.
