constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Independence date
28 November 1960 (from France)
Religions
Muslim 100%
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 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)
Languages
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
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)
Exports
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
External Debt
$2,816,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Area
1,030,700 km sq
459 km sq
Coastline
754 km
1,519 km
Climate
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
