constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
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 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
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)
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Exports
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
External Debt
$626,900,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
7
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Area
459 km sq
43,094 km sq
Coastline
1,519 km
7,314 km
Climate
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
