STATISTICS: PALAU

Palau Official name: Belu`u er a Belau (Palauan); Republic of Palau (English). Form of government: unitary republic with a national congress composed of two legislative houses (Senate ; House of Delegates ). Head of state and government: President. Capital: Koror{1}. Official languages{2}: Palauan; English. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 U.S. dollar (U.S.$) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 = U.S.$1.70. Demography Population (1998): 18,100. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 96.3, persons per sq km 37.1. Urban-rural (1990): urban 59.6%; rural 40.4%. Sex distribution (1995): male 53.49%; female 46.51%. Age breakdown (1990): under 15, 30.3%; 15-29, 27.8%; 30-44, 22.8%; 45-59, 10.5%; 60-74, 6.4%; 75 and over 2.2%. Population projection: (2000) 18,800; (2010) 21,700. Doubling time: 35 years. Ethnic composition (1995): Palauan 74.5%; Filipino 16.0%; Chinese 3.2%; other Micronesian and other 6.3%. Religious affiliation (1995): Roman Catholic 38.4%; Protestant 24.7%; Modekne 26.5%; other 10.4%. Major cities (1995): Koror 12,000. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997): 21.0 (world avg. 25.0); legitimate, n.a.; illegitimate, n.a. Death rate per 1,000 population (1997): 7.0 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 14.0 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 2.7. Marriage rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Divorce rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Life expectancy at birth (1997): male 69.1 years; female 73.0 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1993): diseases of the circulatory system 192.9; malignant and benign neoplasms (cancers) 136.9; accidents, poisoning, and violence 112.0; diseases of the respiratory system 43.6; infectious and parasitic diseases 43.6. National economy Budget (1997). Revenue: U.S.$52,869,000 (grants from the U.S. 59.6%, tax revenue 33.7%). Expenditures: U.S.$59,867,000 (current expenditure 87.0%, of which wages and salaries 44.0%; capital expenditure 13.0%). Gross national product (at current market prices; 1997){3}: U.S.$159,800,000 (U.S.$8,806 per capita). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (value of sales in U.S.$; 1993): eggs 262,701, fruit and vegetables 126,325, betel nuts 60,376, root crops (taro, cassava, sweet potatoes) 43,718; livestock (number of live animals; 1984) pigs 1,343, cows 82, goats 52, poultry 9,500; roundwood, n.a.; fish catch (1995) 1,450 (major species are parrot fish, snapper, unicorn fish, and rabbitfish). Mining and quarrying: n.a. Manufacturing: includes handicrafts and small items. Construction: Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 203,000,000 (203,000,000); coal, none (n.a.); crude petroleum, none (n.a.); petroleum products, none (75,000); natural gas, none (n.a.). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1993): U.S.$100,000,000. Tourism (1996): receipts from visitors U.S.$67,900,000. Population economically active (1995): total 8,347; activity rate of total population 48.5% (participation rates: over age 15, 66.2%; female (1990) 36.9%; unemployed 7.0%. Land use: n. a. Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1995) 4.9; income per household (1989) U.S.$8,882; sources of income (1989): wages 63.7%, social security 12.0%, self-employment 7.4%, retirement 5.5%, interest, dividend, or net rental 4.3%, remittance 4.1%, public assistance 1.0%, other 2.0%; expenditure: n.a. Foreign trade{4} Imports (1996): U.S.$72,400,000 (1984; food and agricultural raw materials 28.9%, machinery and transport equipment 24.5%, chemicals and related products 4.0%). Major import sources (1984): United States 41.8%; Japan 38.2%. Exports (1996): U.S.$14,300,000 (1984; food and agricultural raw materials 69.1%, manufactured goods 30.9%). Major export destinations (1984): Japan 58.8%; United States 8.0%. Transport Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1993): total length 40 mi, 64 km (paved 59%). Vehicles (1994): passenger cars and trucks 4,271. Merchant marine (1991): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 4; total deadweight tonnage, n.a. Air transport (1993): passenger arrivals 50,366, passenger departures 49,376; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1990). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 1.8%; some primary education 21.8%; completed primary 5.5%; some secondary 13.3%; completed secondary 26.6%; some postsecondary 11.1%; higher 19.9%. Literacy (1990): total population age 15 and over literate 10,288 (97.6%); males literate 5,677 (98.3%); females literate 4,611 (96.6%). Health (1990): physicians{5} 10 (1 per 1,518 persons); hospital beds 70 (1 per 200 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1997) 25.1. Food: daily per capita caloric intake, n.a. Military The United States is responsible for the external security of Palau, as specified in the Compact of Free Association of Oct. 1, 1994. {1} A site on Babelthuap is to be the eventual permanent capital. {2} Sonsorolese-Tobian is also, according to official sources, considered an official language. {3} Gross national product comprises U.S. government spending only. {4} Export and import figures are f.o.b. {5} Government-employed health personnel only.