Travelling Club - Palau

Fact Sheet: Palau

• Location: Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
• Geographic coordinates: 7 30 N, 134 30 E
• Area: total: 458 sq km
• 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
• Natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)
• Population: 20,579 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9%, Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%, Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.2% (2000 census)
• Religions: Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other religion 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)
• Languages: Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)
• Government type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
• Capital: name: Koror
• Currency code: US dollar (USD)
• Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
• Internet country code: .pw
• Airports: 3 (2006)