constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Independence date
6 September 1968 (from UK)
Religions
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%
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, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
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
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
External Debt
$703,100,000 $
Exchange Rate
emalangeni per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
4.700%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Area
17,364 km sq
459 km sq
Coastline
0 km
1,519 km
Climate
varies from tropical to near temperate
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
