Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 184 DB Rec# - 55,932 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 184 Title :PACIFIC ISLANDS, TRUST TERRITORY OF THE (PALAU) Data type :TEXT End year :1994 Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : PACIFIC ISLANDS, TRUST TERRITORY OF THE (PALAU) Affiliation: (UN trusteeship administered by the US) GEOGRAPHY Location: in the North Pacific Ocean, 850 km southeast of the Philippines Map references: Oceania Area: total area: 458 km2 land area: 458 km2 comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 1,519 km contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m or depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid Terrain: about 200 islands varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: NA% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA% Irrigated land: NA km2 Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain Note: includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands Population: 16,071 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 1.84% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 22.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 25.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.01 years male: 69.14 years female: 73.02 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.96 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Palauan(s) adjective: Palauan Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races Religions: 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) Languages: English (official in all of Palau's 16 states), Sonsorolese (official in the state of Sonsoral), Angaur and Japanese (in the state of Anguar), Tobi (in the state of Tobi), Palauan (in the other 13 states) Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 92% male: 93% female: 91% Labor force: NA by occupation: NA GOVERNMENT Names: conventional long form: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands conventional short form: none of Palau is Belau and is sometimes used incorrectly in English and other languages Digraph: NQ Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US note: constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, which was never approved in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; administrative authority resides in the Department of the Interior and is exercised by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs through the Palau Office, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, J. Victor HOBSON Jr., Director (since 16 December 1990) Capital: Koror note: a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap Administrative divisions: there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 16 states: Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngardmau, Ngaremlengui, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngerchelong, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol, Tobi Independence: the last polity remaining under the US-administered UN trusteeship following the departure of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas from the trusteeship; administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior Constitution: 1 January 1981 Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held on 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - Kuniwo NAKAMURA 50.7%, Johnson TORIBIONG 49.3% Senate: last held 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total); number of seats by party NA House of Delegates: last held 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (16 total); number of seats by party NA Executive branch: national president, national vice president Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) Judicial branch: Supreme Court, National Court, Court of Common Pleas Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: President Kuniwo NAKAMURA (since 1 January 1993), Vice-President Tommy E. REMENGESAU Jr. (since 1 January 1993) Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer) Diplomatic representation in US: administrative officer: Charles UONG, address: Palau Liaison Office, 444 North Capitol St., N.W., Suite 308, Washington, DC 20001 US diplomatic representation: director: US Liaison Officer Lloyd W. MOSS liaison office: US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror mailing address: P.O. Box 6028, Koror, PW 96940 telephone: (680) 488-2920; (680) 488-2911 Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side ECONOMY Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $31.6 million (1986) note: GDP numbers reflect US spending National product real growth rate: NA% National product per capita: $2,260 (1986) Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% Unemployment rate: 20% (1986) Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986) Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986) commodities: NA partners: US, Japan Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986) partners: US External debt: about $100 million (1989) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2,560 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $92 million Currency: US currency is used Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 22.3 km paved, some stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1991) Ports: Koror Airports: total: 3 usable: 3 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3 Telecommunications: broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN trusteeship terminates if the Compact of Free Association with the US goes into effect -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940180.TXT