esults - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14
total) number of seats by party NA
House of Delegates: elections last held 4 November 1992 (next to be
held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats
- (16 total) number of seats by party NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common
Pleas

Political parties and leaders: Palau Nationalist Party, Polycarp
BASILIUS

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), SPC,
SPF, UN, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim
Isaac Ngewakl SOALADAOB
chancery: 2000 L Street NW, Suite 407, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard G.
WATKINS
embassy: address NA, Koror
mailing address: P.O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940
telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
FAX: [680] 488-2911

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

Economy
-------

Economic overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence
agriculture and fishing. The government is the major employer of the
work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. The
population, in effect, enjoys a per capita income of $5,000, twice
that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects
for the tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion
of air travel in the Pacific and the rapidly rising prosperity of
leading East Asian countries. Reducing budgeted operating
expenditures - which have increased 56% from 1989 to 1993 - will be
the biggest challenge for the government over the next several years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $81.8 million (1994 est.)
note: GDP numbers reflect US spending

GDP real growth rate: NA%

GDP per capita: $5,000 (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: NA
by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)

Budget:
revenues: $17 million
expenditures: $57 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)

Industries: tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), some
commercial fishing and agriculture

Industrial production growth rate: NA%