s:
7 30 N, 134 30 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 458 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 458 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,519 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
extended fishing zone: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:
Tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m

Natural resources:
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed
minerals

Land use:
arable land: 8.7%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 86.95% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
typhoons (June to December)

Environment - current issues:
inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the
marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing
practices, and overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
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

People Palau

Population:
20,016 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.6% (male 2,746; female 2,578)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 7,456; female 6,319)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 437; female 480) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.1 years
male: 32.1 years
female: 30 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.46% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.69 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.89 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.42 deaths/1,000 liv