fter 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.

Geography Palau

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: 458 sq km
land: 458 sq km
water: 0 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
exclusive fishing zone: 200 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% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

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,
Wetlands, Whaling
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:
20,579 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.3% (male 2,789/female 2,622)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 7,664/female 6,549)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 453/female 502) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.7 years
male: 32.7 years
female: 30.7 years (2006 est.)

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