]! ^! 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. 
]" ^" Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines ^# 7 30 N, 134 30 E ^$ Oceania ^% `! 458 sq km `" 458 sq km `# 0 sq km ^& slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC ^' 0 km ^( 1,519 km ^) `$ 3 nm `a 200 nm ^* tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November ^+ varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs ^, `% Pacific Ocean 0 m `& Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m ^- forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals ^. `' 8.7% `( 4.35% `) 86.95% (2001) ^/ NA ^0 typhoons (June to December) ^1 inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing practices, and overfishing _J `K Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection `L none of the selected agreements ^2 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 
]# ^3 20,303 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 26.4% (male 2,768/female 2,601) `+ 69% (male 7,565/female 6,436) `, 4.6% (male 443/female 490) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 31.43 years `- 32.4 years `. 30.36 years (2005 est.) ^6 1.39% (2005 est.) ^7 18.37 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 6.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 2.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.06 male(s)/female `0 1.06 male(s)/female `+ 1.18 male(s)/female `, 0.9 male(s)/female `1 1.13 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 14.84 deaths/1,000 live births `- 16.6 deaths/1,000 live births `. 12.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 70.14 years `- 66.98 years `. 73.48 years (2005 est.) ^= 2.46 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> NA ^? NA ^@ NA ^A `2 Palauan(s) `3 Palauan ^B Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9%, Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%, other or unspecified 3.2% (2000 census) ^C 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 religion 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census) ^D Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census) ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 92% `- 93% `. 90% (1980 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Republic of Palau `5 Palau `V Beluu er a Belau `W Belau `X Palau District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) ^H constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994 ^I Koror; note - a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror ^J 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol ^K 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) ^L Constitution Day, 9 July (1979) ^M 1 January 1981 ^N based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `6 President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19 January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government `7 President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19 January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government `8 Cabinet `9 president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) `: Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. reelected president; percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. 64%, Polycarp BASILIUS 33%; Elias Camsek CHIN elected vice president; percent of vote - Elias Camsek CHIN 70%, Sandra PIERANTOZZI 29% ^Q 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) `9 Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) `: Senate - percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 (four new members elected); House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 16 (one new member elected) ^R Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas ^S none ^T NA ^U ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO ^V `N Ambassador Hersey KYOTA `O 1800 K Street NW, Suite 714, Washington, DC 20006 `P [1] (202) 452-6814 `Q [1] (202) 452-6281 `g Tamuning (Guam) ^W `N US ambassador to the Philippines is accredited to Palau `Z Koror (no street address) `[ P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940 `P [680] 488-2920, 2990 `Q [680] 488-2911 ^X light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side 
]% ^Y 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 63,000 in 2003. 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. ^Z $174 million note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2001 est.) ^[ 1% (2001 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2001 est.) ^] `; NA `< NA `= NA ^^ 9,845 (2000) ^_ agriculture 20%, industry NA, services NA (1990) ^` 2.3% (2000 est.) ^a NA _! `> NA `? NA _" 3.4% (2000 est.) _# `@ $57.7 million `A $80.8 million, including capital expenditures of $17.1 million (FY98/99 est.) _$ coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes _% tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making _& NA _/ $18 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) _0 shellfish, tuna, copra, garments _1 US, Japan, Singapore (2000) _2 $99 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) _3 machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs _4 US, Guam, Japan, Singapore, South Korea (2000) _5 $0 (FY99/00) _6 $155.8 million ; 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 _7 US dollar (USD) _8 the US dollar is used _9 1 October - 30 September 
]& _: 6,700 (2002) _; 1,000 (2002) _< `B NA `C NA `D country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) _= AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2002) _> 1 (cable) (2005) _? .pw 
]' _B `! 61 km `E 36 km `F 25 km _C Koror _D 3 (2004 est.) _E `! 1 `^ 1 (2004 est.) _L `! 2 `^ 2 (2004 est.) 
]( _F no regular military forces; Police Force _N NA _O NA _G 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 
]) _H border delineation disputes being negotiated with Philippines, Indonesia 