Palau

Year

INTRODUCTION

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Ministry of Health
P.O.Box 6027, Koror, Republic of Palau, 96940
Tel:(680) 488 2552 / 488 2553
Fax:(680) 488 5618
WHO Representative for the South Pacific
Level 4, Provident Plaza 1, Downtown Boulevard, 33 Ellery Street, Suva
Tel:(679) 330 4600 / 330 4631 / 330 4635 / 331 7447
Fax:(679) 330 0462 / 331 1530
who@sp.wpro.who.int

Palau, one of the original trust territories of the United States of America, consists of eight principal and 252 smaller islands in a chain about 650 kilometres (km) long, stretching from the small groups of islands around Tobi and Sonsorol north-east to the main group, which extends from Angaur to Kayangel atoll.  This latter group includes the main island of Babeldaob (Babelthuap), the second largest island in Micronesia (after Guam).  Palau lies about 7150 km south-west of Hawaii and about 1160 km south of Guam.  The territory's nearest neighbour is Yap to the east, one of the Federated States of Micronesia.  The Philippines lies to the west and Indonesia to the south and south-west.

Table 1.  Core population and health data (2003 estimates)

Population

[Total]

19 717

Life expectancy
at birth (years)

[Both]

69.50

[0-14 years]

5264 (26.70%)

[Male]

66.37

[65+ years]

907 (4.60%)

[Female]

72.82

Crude birth rate
(per 1000 population)

 

19.02

Total fertility rate

 

1.54 (2000)

Crude death rate
(per 1000 population)

 

7.00

% of population served with safe water

[Total]

95.40

[Urban]

99.00

[Rural]

89.00

Infant mortality rate
(per 1000 live births)

 

15.76

% of population with adequate sanitary facilities

[Total]

99.00

[Urban]

99.00

[Rural]

98.00

Maternal mortality rate
(per 100 000 live births)

 

0.00 (1998)

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of an opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.