Palau

Location:

Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines

Border Countries:

Terrain:

varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs

Geography:

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

Capital:

Melekeok

About Palau

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.

Population:

21,093 (July 2008 est.)

Language:

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)

Religion:

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 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)

Phone Service:

NA

Currency:

US dollar (USD)

Climate:

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Natural Hazards:

typhoons (June to December)