m
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid
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 Ngerchelchauus 242 m
Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine
products, deep-seabed minerals
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures : NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%
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 : Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: includes World War II battleground of Beliliou
(Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands; archipelago of six island
groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
@Palau:People
Population: 17,240 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 1.66% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 21.04 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
total population: NA male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 25.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.01 years
male : 69.14 years
female: 73.02 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.71 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan
Ethnic groups: 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
|