Palau

total: 1,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)

no broadcast TV stations; a cable TV network covers the major islands and provides access to 4 local cable stations, rebroadcasts (on a delayed basis) of a number of US stations, as well as access to a number of real-time satellite TV channels; about a half dozen radio stations (1 government-owned) (2019)

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percent of population: 27% (2004 est.)

total subscriptions: 8,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 24,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135 (2023 est.)

coconuts, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish, pigs, chickens, eggs, bananas, papaya, breadfruit, calamansi, soursop, Polynesian chestnuts, Polynesian almonds, mangoes, taro, guava, beans, cucumbers, squash/pumpkins (various), eggplant, green onions, kangkong (watercress), cabbages (various), radishes, betel nuts, melons, peppers, noni, okra

revenues: $127.757 million (2020 est.) expenditures: $152.398 million (2020 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$135.428 million (2022 est.) -$115.739 million (2021 est.) -$115.61 million (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

high-income Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; subsistence agriculture and fishing industries; US aid reliance; rebounding post-pandemic tourism industry and services sector; very high living standard and low unemployment

the US dollar is used

$24.48 million (2022 est.) $10.566 million (2021 est.) $52.897 million (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

ships, refined petroleum (2023) note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

India 41%, Turkey 26%, Taiwan 10%, USA 9%, Japan 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$281.849 million (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 77.8% (2022 est.) government consumption: 36.3% (2022 est.) investment in fixed capital: 36.6% (2022 est.) investment in inventories: 1.8% (2022 est.) exports of goods and services: 13.5% (2022 est.) imports of goods and services: -74.3% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 3% (2023 est.) industry: 9.9% (2023 est.) services: 76.7% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

$216.681 million (2022 est.) $169.938 million (2021 est.) $207.224 million (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

ships, refined petroleum, additive manufacturing machines, cars, plastic products (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Italy 32%, China 25%, USA 11%, Turkey 10%, Japan 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-19.5% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

tourism, fishing, subsistence agriculture

2.2% (2024 est.) 12.8% (2023 est.) 12.4% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

85.2% of GDP (2019 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$280.025 million (2023 est.) $274.866 million (2022 est.) $278.538 million (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

1.9% (2023 est.) -1.3% (2022 est.) -13.8% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$15,800 (2023 est.) $15,500 (2022 est.) $15,700 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

18.1% (of GDP) (2020 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 99.9% electrification - rural areas: 100%

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing practices, and overfishing; rising sea level; coral bleaching; drought

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 9.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.3% (2023 est.) forest: 90.6% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

urban population: 82.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 9,400 tons (2024 est.)

total : 459 sq km land: 459 sq km water: 0 sq km

slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

1,519 km

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

7 30 N, 134 30 E

westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes world-famous Rock Islands

0 sq km (2022)

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 9.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.3% (2023 est.) forest: 90.6% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

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

Oceania

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

typhoons (June to December)

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

most of the population is located on the southern end of the main island of Babelthuap

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

16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol

name: Ngerulmud geographic coordinates: 7 30 N, 134 37 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name comes from a Palauan term meaning "place of fermented angelfish;" the site of the capital was the traditional location for women to gather and offer fermented angelfish to the gods

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Palau dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: note - no procedure for naturalization

history: ratified 9 July 1980, effective 1 January 1981 amendment process: proposed by a constitutional convention (held at least once every 15 years with voter approval), by public petition of at least 25% of eligible voters, or by a resolution adopted by at least three fourths of National Congress members; passage requires approval by a majority of votes in at least three fourths of the states in the next regular general election

conventional long form: Republic of Palau conventional short form: Palau local long form: Beluu er a Belau local short form: Belau former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District etymology: from the Palauan name for the islands, Belau, which likely derives from the Palauan word beluu , meaning "village"

chief of mission: Ambassador Joel EHRENDREICH (since 29 September 2023) embassy: Omsangel/Beklelachieb, Airai 96940 mailing address: 4260 Koror Place, Washington, DC 20521-4260 telephone: [680] 587-2920 FAX: [680] 587-2911 email address and website: ConsularKoror@state.gov https://pw.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA (since 12 November 1997) chancery: 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 349-8598 FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281 email address and website: info@palauembassy.org https://www.palauembassy.org/ consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)

chief of state: President Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. (since 21 January 2021) head of government: President Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. (since 21 January 2021) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate; also includes the vice president; the Council of Chiefs consists of chiefs from each of the states who advise the president on issues concerning traditional laws, customs, and their relationship to the constitution and laws election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on separate ballots by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 5 November 2024 election results: 2024: Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. elected president in second round; percent of vote - Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. (independent) 57.7%, Tommy REMENGESAU (independent) 42.1%, other 0.2% 2020: Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. elected president in second round; percent of vote - Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. (independent) 56.7%, Raynold OILUCH (independent) 43.3% expected date of next election: November 2028 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

description: light blue with a large yellow disk to the left side meaning: blue stands for the ocean, and the disk for the moon, which is considered a symbol of peace, love, and tranquility

presidential republic in free association with the US

1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IPU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 3 associate justices organized into appellate trial divisions; the Supreme Court organization also includes the Common Pleas and Land Courts) judge selection and term of office: justices nominated by a 7-member independent body consisting of judges, presidential appointees, and lawyers and appointed by the president; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65 subordinate courts: National Court and other inferior courts

mixed system of civil, common, and customary law

legislature name: National Congress (Olbiil Era Kelulau) legislative structure: bicameral

chamber name: House of Delegates number of seats: 16 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 11/5/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 25% expected date of next election: November 2028

chamber name: Senate number of seats: 15 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 11/5/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 13.3% expected date of next election: November 2028

title: "Belau rekid" (Our Palau) lyrics/music: multiple/Ymesei O. EZEKIEL history: adopted 1980

blue, yellow

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (mixed) selected World Heritage Site locales: Rock Islands Southern Lagoon

Constitution Day, 9 July (1981); Independence Day, 1 October (1994)

bai (native meeting house)

although not expressly forbidden by law, Palau does not have political parties or coalitions

18 years of age; universal

Humans arrived in the Palauan archipelago from Southeast Asia around 1000 B.C. and developed a complex, highly organized matrilineal society where high-ranking women picked the chiefs. The islands were the westernmost part of the widely scattered Pacific islands north of New Guinea that Spanish explorers named the Caroline Islands in the 17th century. The 18th and 19th centuries saw occasional visits of whalers and traders as Spain gained some influence in the islands and administered it from the Philippines. Spain sold Palau to Germany in 1899 after losing the Philippines in the Spanish-American War. Japan seized Palau in 1914, was granted a League of Nations mandate to administer the islands in 1920, and made Koror the capital of its South Seas Mandate in 1922. By the outbreak of World War II, there were four times as many Japanese living in Koror as Palauans. In 1944, the US invasion of the island of Peleliu was one of the bloodiest island fights of the Pacific War. After the war, Palau became part of the US-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Palau voted against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1978 and adopted its own constitution in 1981, which stated that Palau was a nuclear-free country. In 1982, Palau signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted Palau financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities. However, many Palauans saw the COFA as incompatible with the Palauan Constitution because of the US military s nuclear arsenal, and seven referenda failed to achieve ratification. Following a constitutional amendment and eighth referendum in 1993, the COFA was ratified and entered into force in 1994 when the islands gained their independence. Its funding was renewed in 2010. Palau has been on the frontlines of combatting climate change and protecting marine resources. In 2011, Palau banned commercial shark fishing and created the world s first shark sanctuary. In 2017, Palau began stamping the Palau Pledge into passports, reminding visitors to act in ecologically and culturally responsible ways. In 2020, Palau banned coral reef-toxic sunscreens and expanded its fishing prohibition to include 80% of its exclusive economic zone.

under the Compact of Free Association between Palau and the US, the US is responsible for the defense of Palau, and the US military is granted access to the islands; the COFA also allows citizens of Palau to serve in the US armed forces Palau has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Palau's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)

no regular military forces; the Bureau of Public Safety (Ministry of Justice) has divisions for police functions and maritime security (2025)

0-14 years: 17.5% (male 1,976/female 1,849) 15-64 years: 71.3% (male 8,647/female 6,935) 65 years and over: 11.2% (2024 est.) (male 612/female 1,845)

11.53 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

48.3% (2020 est.)

8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio: 41.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 24.9 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 16.7 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 6 (2025 est.)

urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 99.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

3.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 9.8% national budget (2023 est.)

Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70.6%, Carolinian 1.2%, Asian 26.5%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

0.83 (2025 est.)

16.4% of GDP (2021) 9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

total: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Palauan (official on most islands) 65.2%, other Micronesian 1.9%, English (official) 19.1%, Filipino 9.9%, Chinese 1.2%, other 2.8% (2015 est.) note: Sonsoralese is official in Sonsoral; Tobian is official in Tobi; Angaur and Japanese are official in Angaur

total population: 75.2 years (2024 est.) male: 72 years female: 78.5 years

total population: 100% (2020 est.) male: 100% (2020 est.) female: 100% (2020 est.)

277 NGERULMUD (capital) (2018)

89 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 35.5 years (2025 est.) male: 34.1 years female: 37.4 years

noun: Palauan(s) adjective: Palauan

0.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

55.3% (2016)

1.81 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

total: 21,947 (2025 est.) male: 11,257 female: 10,690

most of the population is located on the southern end of the main island of Babelthuap

0.38% (2025 est.)

Roman Catholic 46.9%, Protestant 30.9% (Evangelical 24.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, other Protestant 1.4%), Modekngei 5.1% (indigenous to Palau), Muslim 4.9%, other 12.3% (2020 est.)

urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 98.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 99% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 1.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 1% of population (2022 est.)

total: 15 years (2023 est.) male: 14 years (2023 est.) female: 16 years (2023 est.)

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.25 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.33 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 16.3% (2025 est.) male: 25.2% (2025 est.) female: 6.8% (2025 est.)

1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 82.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

3 (2025)

T8

total: 427 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 49, container ship 8, general cargo 200, oil tanker 52, other 118

total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Malakal Harbor