Palau

Full name of country: Republic of Palau

Region: Australia-Oceania

Official language: Palauan, English, Sonsoralese, Tobian, Angaur, Japanese (varies by island)

Population: 21,864 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Palauan(s) (noun), Palauan (adjective)

Land area: 459 sq km

Capital: Ngerulmud

National anthem: "Belau rekid" (Our Palau), by Multiple/Ymesei O. Ezekiel

National holiday: Constitution Day, July 9 (1979); Independence Day, October 1 (1994)

Population growth: 0.38% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +9

Flag: The flag of Palau consists of a sky-blue field, representing independence, with a large yellow disc placed slightly off-center (toward the hoist side) representing the moon (symbolizing national unity and destiny).

Independence: October 1, 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

Government type: presidential republic in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on October 1, 1994

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law

The Republic of Palau, probably the first chain of Micronesian islands to be settled, was also the last of the former United Nations Pacific trust territories administered by the United States. Under the Compact of Free Association, which went into effect in 1994, Palau allows the United States to maintain military facilities on its islands in exchange for economic aid.

This aid enables Palau to enjoy a per-capita income higher than that of the Philippines and many other places in Micronesia. Many of the islands' inhabitants work for the government. Palau's internal economy is based on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and tourism.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: The island of Koror served as the interim capital until 2006, when the capital was moved to Ngerulmud in the state of Melekeok on the island of Babelthuap (Babeldaob).

In 2020, about 70.6 percent of residents were native Palauans, of primarily Micronesian descent with some Malayan and Melanesian as well. People of Asian extraction were the largest minority group, making up 26.5 percent of the population. Other ethnic groups included Carolinians, from the Caroline Islands (1.2 percent), and other ethnicities (1.7 percent).

Numerous languages are spoken in Palau, and official languages vary from island to island. English is an official language everywhere, and Palauan is official on most islands. The exceptions are Sonsoral, where Sonsoralese is official; Tobi, where Tobian is official; and Angaur, where Angaur and Japanese are official.

In 2020, the majority of Palauans were Christians, with 46.9 percent identifying as Roman Catholic. Another 30.9 percent were members of various Protestant denominations. About 5.1 percent of Palauans were adherents of Modekngei, an Indigenous, marginally Christian religion that emphasizes traditional Palauan culture and values. Another 4.9 percent of the population was Muslim, 5 percent was Seventh-day Adventist, and 12.3 percent practiced other religions.

Clans are still the basic organizational units of society. Clan membership is reckoned matrilineally, meaning that obligations, inheritance, and descent are traced through the mother. Although modern patriarchy has affected Palauan society, women are still strong and active in economic, social, and political affairs.

Palau's HDI value for 2022 is 0.797— which put the country in the High human development category—positioning it at 71 out of 193 countries and territories.

Indigenous People: According to archaeological evidence, humans may have arrived in Palau four thousand years ago from Southeast Asia. Palau is believed to be the earliest-settled island group in ancient Micronesia. Most Palauans today are descendants of these original settlers.

Spain claimed the islands in the sixteenth century, and Germany bought the islands from Spain in 1899. During World War I, the Japanese took over the islands, and Japan's mandate was confirmed by the United Nations after the war. The island of Peleliu was a major battleground during World War II (1939–45), when the United States seized the islands from the Japanese during the Battle of Peleliu. American administration of the UN Pacific trust territories, including Palau, was confirmed in 1949.

In the late twentieth century, ethnic tensions grew as immigrants flocked to Palau, primarily from the Philippines. The number of immigrants mushroomed from 4 percent in 1973 to 33 percent in 1997, and resentment by native Palauans sometimes led to unequal treatment of foreigners, in spite of legal guarantees of equality. Concerns over immigration have since diminished, though some discrimination still persists.

Education: Education in Palau is free and compulsory between the ages of six and seventeen, or from the beginning of primary school through graduation from secondary school. The government runs a small number of public schools and the country also has a number of private schools, nearly all of which are religiously affiliated.

Palau Community College (formerly the Micronesian Occupational College) offers two-year programs. It is Palau’s only postsecondary educational institution.

According to 2015 estimates, 96.6 percent of the population over fifteen years of age is literate (able to read and write).

Health Care: Health care in Palau is largely subsidized by aid from the United Nations and the United States. In 2020, the country had approximately 1.77 physicians for every 1,000 residents. The main health facility is Belau National Hospital, located in the town of Meyuns, Koror. It is supplemented by several community health centers and dispensaries throughout the country.

In the 2000s, the main health concerns of Palau began to shift from diseases and conditions typical of developing countries, such as malnutrition and dengue fever, to noncommunicable diseases and lifestyle conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Life expectancy is increasing, from 69 years in 2000 to an estimated 75.2 years in 2024. The infant mortality rate was 32 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1980; in 2024, it was estimated at 10.8 deaths per 1,000 births.

Maternal health is especially good in Palau. The high quality of obstetrical services is credited, as well as the availability and widespread use of contraceptives.

Food: The staple foods of Palau are seafood, fish, and taro, a starchy root. In addition, meat, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and cassava are used extensively. Between meals, many Palauans chew betel, an addictive green palm nut. The nut is sprinkled with powdered lime and wrapped in a leaf. It stains the teeth red when chewed.

Many Palauan dishes are similar to Filipino cuisine. Palauan cooking uses seafood, pork, fish, and chicken; tropical fruits such as mangoes, bananas, watermelon, and papayas; and vegetables such as taro and peppers. Breadfruit qualifies as a fruit if eaten ripe and as a vegetable if eaten green. Typically, food is served wrapped in banana or coconut leaves.

Among some Palauans, fruit bat is a delicacy. Others will not touch it and are shocked by visitors who try it.

Arts & Entertainment: Traditional Palauan dances were performed by both sexes in the precolonial period. Today, women maintain the ulekbut el ngloik, or traditional dances. The dances are performed in pairs: a delal a ngloik, or mother dance, which presents an important message; and a beluulchab, or humorous dance, which jokes about current events.

The two-piece dance costumes are made of fiber from hibiscus bark. They are dyed different colors to represent the different families or clans.

Matmatong are marching songs and dances based on the islanders' observation of marching German soldiers during the early twentieth century. Accompaniment may include harmonicas, a keyboard, or a complete band. More contemporary costumes are worn for the matmatong. Modern music styles from other countries, including rock, country, and reggae, have also influenced Palauan music.

Palauans compete internationally in table tennis, swimming, volleyball, softball, wrestling, weightlifting, baseball, basketball, outrigger canoeing, and track events.

Holidays: Palauans celebrate typical American holidays including Thanksgiving and Labor Day. Other official holidays observed in Palau include Youth Day (March 15), Airai State Constitution Day (April 5), Senior Citizens' Day (May 5), President's Day (June 1), Constitution Day (July 9), Independence Day (October), Koror State Constitution Day (October 20), and United Nations Day (October 24).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Palau consists of more than three hundred islands in six groups, making up the western archipelago of the Caroline Islands in Micronesia. Situated in the North Pacific Ocean, Palau lies 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of the Philippines, 7,150 kilometers (4,450 miles) southwest of Hawaii, and 1,160 kilometers (720 miles) south of Guam.

Palau's chain of islands stretches for 650 kilometers (400 miles), with a total coastline of 1,519 kilometers (944 miles). There are eight main islands, the largest of which is Babelthuap, also spelled Babeldaob. Other large islands include Koror, Arakabesan, and Malakal. A highway connects Koror and Malakal.

The islands are surrounded by a coral reef. The fertile, volcanic northern islands are covered with trees. The southern islands are coral, and most are too rugged to be inhabited. Babelthuap has mountains, including the country's highest point, Mount Ngerchelchuus, at 242 meters (794 feet) above sea level.

Natural Resources: Palau's natural resources include forests, small amounts of minerals such as gold, marine resources such as fish, and other mineral deposits in the deep seabed.

Environmental concerns facing Palau include inadequate sewage facilities, coral- and sand-dredging operations that threaten marine habitats, illegal fishing, and overfishing.

Plants & Animals: Palau boasts the greatest biodiversity in Micronesia. In the waters around the islands, more than two thousand species of fish, three hundred species of coral, and several species of sea grass flourish. Palau is also home to more than 140 species of birds, including 16 endemic species. Of the 1,260 plant species in Palau, 109 are endemic. Endangered or threatened animal species in Palau include the Micronesian scrubfowl (Megapodius laperouse) and the Japanese night heron (Gorsachius goisagi). The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is threatened by hunting and loss of habitat.

The only known extant land mammals on Palau are two species of bat, the Palau flying fox (Pteropus pelewensis) and the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata). The large Palau flying fox (Pteropus pilosus) was endemic to Palau, but it became extinct in the nineteenth century.

The ocean is alive with sharks, turtles, dolphins, anemones, corals, sponges, octopus, sea urchins, clownfish, lionfish, eels, goatfish, idol fish, jellyfish, manta rays, snails, clams, sea cucumbers, starfish, squid, and many other forms of marine life.

Some of the many bird species found in Palau include frigate birds, egrets, petrels, flycatchers, parrots, rails, fantails, shearwaters, herons, bitterns, boobies, plovers, crakes, cranes, gulls, cormorants, the Pacific black duck, lorikeets, eagles, falcons, and mynas.

It is believed that Palau was once almost entirely covered by forest. By 2018, it was estimated to be about 87.6 percent forested. Six species of palm trees are native to Palau. Other trees include coconut and other palms, betel, ironwood, breadfruit, the Brazilian rubber tree, the Siamese cassia, hibiscus, pandanus, and various broadleaf hardwoods. Introduced species include kapok, several species of orchid trees, India rubber trees, Panama cherry trees, and pink trumpet trees. Mangrove swamps flourish, though some have been damaged by clearing for taro growing.

Common plants include the rare wild orchid; pink lady; white ginger; devil's fig; Bengal trumpet; water hyacinth; mint weed; molasses grass; Java plum; wild basil; several species of violets, including the Philippine violet; Madras thorn; and love-in-a-mist.

Climate: Palau's tropical climate is hot and humid. The average annual temperature is 27 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), with little seasonal variation. Average relative humidity is 82 percent.

As is the case with the temperature, there is little variation in rainfall, although the months between May and November are considered the "wet" season. On average, the islands receive 373 centimeters (146 inches) or rainfall each year.

Although Palau lies outside the main typhoon path, it is sometimes hit by damaging storms.

Experts noted that Palau also remained vulnerable to ongoing climate change effects, particularly increased sea levels and temperatures.

Economy

The government is the major employer in Palau and also provides many social services. Over the years, tourism has grown in importance. Most farming is done at the subsistence level, and Palau imports much of its own food.

In 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$280.025 billion, or US$15,800 per capita. In 2021, the unemployment rate was 1.26 percent.

Industry: Industries in Palau are small, consisting primarily of tourism, construction, craft items, and garment making.

In 2022, Palau exported US$24.48 million worth of goods, including shellfish, tuna, and other fish. Japan receives the vast majority of the country's exports, followed by Taiwan, Turkey, Italy, and the United States.

Agriculture: Only a limited amount of land in Palau is suitable for agriculture, and most farmers grow food for their own consumption. Coconuts are the chief cash crop. Other crops include cassava, taro, sweet potatoes, betel nuts, tropical fruits, and various vegetables. Fish are another major product. Hogs and poultry are also raised in Palau.

Tourism: Tourism became a major part of Palau's economy by the end of the 2010s, with a peak year of 2015 during that decade. A record 167,966 tourists visited in 2015, then declined to 106,000 in 2018. In 2017, the travel and tourism industry directly contributed 28.1 percent of GDP and employed 30.1 percent of the workforce. However, this emerging sector was negatively impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and subsequent global travel restrictions. The national government reported that in fiscal year 2022, there were 9,247 visitor arrivals.

Attractions include cultural and historic sites and cultural centers, such as Ngarachamayong Cultural Center and Ngirngemelas Square, both on Koror, and Chades er a Mechorei, an ancient causeway. History enthusiasts may view artifacts from World War II on the islands of Paleliu and Angaur. Other attractions include Jellyfish Lake, with its clouds of sting-less jellyfish; the Palau Aquarium; and the world-famous Rock Islands, a group of mushroom-shaped, foliage-covered islets.

Favorite activities for tourists include diving and snorkeling (Palau has been named one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World), dolphin encounters, and canoe tours. Because of its magnificent scenery, Palau has become a favorite spot for honeymooning.

Government

Palau became a fully independent state on October 1, 1994. It has a constitutional government in free association with the United States. Suffrage is universal at age eighteen. For administrative purposes, the country is divided into sixteen states.

The president is chief of state and head of government. The president and vice president are elected on separate tickets by popular vote. They each serve four-year terms.

The bicameral legislature is the Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK), literally, "House of Whispered Decisions," also known as the National Congress. It consists of a sixteen-seat House of Delegates and a thirteen-seat Senate. The sixteen delegates are elected by popular vote, and the thirteen senators are elected by popular vote on the basis of population. Both delegates and senators serve four-year terms. Palau has no political parties or political pressure groups.

The Supreme Court is the highest court. The legal system is based on trust territory laws, acts of the legislature, common law, and customary laws. The equality of customary and written laws sometimes causes confusion.

Interesting Facts

• The late Jacques Cousteau, marine explorer and inventor of the aqualung, enjoyed diving at Palau's Ngemelis Wall. In his opinion, it was one of the world's best dive walls.
• Palauans do not need visas or permits to visit, live in, or work in the United States.
• The 2004 season of the American television show Survivor was filmed in Palau.
• Palau has one of the world's highest percentages of the population living abroad at a given time.
• In response to environmental degradation, in 2018, Palau instituted the world's first passport pledge requiring visitors to respect sensitive habitats like reefs as well as the local people and culture. Violators are subject to fines.
• Palau became the first country to institute a ban on sun creams containing ingredients toxic to reefs when the corresponding law went into effect in 2020.

Bibliography

"Palau." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/palau/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

"Palau." "Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 March 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Travel and Tourism: Economic Impact 2018; Palau. World Travel and Tourism Council, 2018, www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-2018/palau2018.pdf. Accessed 30 July 2018.

"Visitor Arrivals." Palaugov.pw, Republic of Palau National Government, 2023, www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/finance/budgetandplanning/immigration-tourism-statistics/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.