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Description: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the
moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side

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

Geographic coordinates: 7 30 N, 134 30 E

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total area: 458 sq km
land area: 458 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of
Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,519 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
extended fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

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
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%
meadows and pastures: NA%
forest and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste;
threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging and
illegal fishing practices that involve the use of dynamite
natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)
international agreements: NA

Geographic 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

People
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Population: 16,952 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 1.71% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 21.61 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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
all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 25.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.01 years
male: 69.14 years
female: 73.02 years (1996 est.)