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219 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
219 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
PACIFIC ISLANDS, TRUST TERRITORY OF THE
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(Palau)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 1,519 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
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Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 3 nm
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Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid
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Terrain: islands vary geologically from the high mountainous main
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island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large
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barrier reefs
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Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine
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products; deep-seabed minerals
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Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and
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pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
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Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago
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of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
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Note: important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines;
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includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock
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islands
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PEOPLE
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Population: 14,411 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
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Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Palauan(s); adjective--Palauan
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Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan,
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and Melanesian races
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Religion: predominantly Christian, mainly Roman Catholic
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Language: Palauan is the official language, though English is
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commonplace; inhabitants of the isolated southwestern islands speak a
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dialect of Trukese
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Literacy: 92% (male 93%, female 91%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1980)
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Labor force: NA
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Organized labor: NA
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
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(no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence;
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note--Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used
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Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US; constitutional
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government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on
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10 January 1986, after approval in a series of UN-observed plebiscites;
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until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the
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Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of
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the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
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Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast
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in eastern Babelthuap
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Administrative divisions: none
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Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship
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(the last polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the
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Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the
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Northern Marianas have left); administered by the Office of Territorial
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and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
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Constitution: 11 January 1981
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Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the
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legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
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National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
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Executive branch: US president, US vice president, national
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president, national vice president
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Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or
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OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of
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Delegates
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January
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1989); represented by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial Affairs,
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US Department of the Interior, Stella GUERRA (since NA July 1989);
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Head of Government--President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November
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1988)
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Political parties: no formal parties
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held November
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1992); Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%,
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Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%, other 28.3%;
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Senate--last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992);
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results--percent of vote NA;
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seats--(18 total);
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House of Delegates--last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held
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November 1992);
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results--percent of vote NA;
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seats--(16 total)
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Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)
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Diplomatic representation: none;
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US--US Liaison Officer Lloyd MOSS; US Liaison Office at Top
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Side, Neeriyas, Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic
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of Palau 96940); telephone 160-680-920 or 990
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Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon)
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shifted slightly to the hoist side
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture
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and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote
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location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered
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development. The government is the major employer of the work force,
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relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
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GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth rate NA% (1986)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
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Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
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Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital
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expenditures of NA (1986)
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Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986);
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commodities--NA;
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partners--US, Japan
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Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986);
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commodities--NA;
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partners--US
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced,
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1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some
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commercial fishing and agriculture
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Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra,
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cassava, sweet potatoes
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $2
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billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-87), $62.6 million
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Currency: US currency is used
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Exchange rates: US currency is used
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Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and concrete roads, otherwise
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stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
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Ports: Koror
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Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: stations--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean
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INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not
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change when the UN trusteeship terminates
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