constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Independence date
1 October 1960 (from UK)
Religions
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
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
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
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
petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
External Debt
$10,430,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
nairas (NGN) per US dollar - 117.8 (2008 est.), 127.46 (2007), 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
4
0
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Area
923,768 km sq
459 km sq
Coastline
853 km
1,519 km
Climate
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
