constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
constitutional democratic republic
Independence date
15 September 1821 (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)
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
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 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Exports
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom
External Debt
$16,170,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - 7.5895 (2008 est.), 7.6833 (2007), 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
Area
459 km sq
108,889 km sq
Coastline
1,519 km
400 km
Climate
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
