Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Prime minister: Denzil Douglas
President: Johnson Toribiong
Population
50,726
21,032
Life Expectancy
74.840 years
72.060 years
Capital City
Largest city
Basseterre (population: 12,920)
Meyungs (population: 1,275)
Human Development Index
0.83
0
GDP per capita
Literacy Rate
97.8%
92%
Corruption Perception Index
Percentage of Women in Parliament
6.7%
0%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Independence date
Religions
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
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
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
External Debt
Exchange Rate
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Area
261 km sq
459 km sq
Coastline
135 km
1,519 km
Climate
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
