constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
republic
Independence date
12 October 1968 (from Spain)
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)
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
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)
Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
Exports
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
External Debt
$1,051,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Area
459 km sq
28,051 km sq
Coastline
1,519 km
296 km
Climate
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
