Palau (Republic of Palau)

Palau Republic of Palau
Status	Independent State
Capital	Melekeok
Land Area	460km21
Location	Australasia, Micronesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	20 758 (2011)2
Life Expectancy	72.87yrs (2017)3
GNI	$13 771 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PW, PLW, 5855
Internet Domain	.pw6
Currency	Dollar (USD)7
Telephone	+6808

1. Overview
2. Palau National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Politics and Freedom
5. Gender Equality
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986 but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year when the islands gained independence.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“You don´t have to get wet to enjoy Palau, but it helps. This tiny island country in the western Pacific Ocean is one of the world´s most spectacular diving and snorkelling destinations. Most tourists who come to the Republic of Palau like to spend their time underwater. This is among the world´s most spectacular diving and snorkelling destinations, featuring coral reefs, blue holes, WWII wrecks, hidden caves and tunnels, more than 60 vertical drop-offs, and an astonishing spectrum of coral, fish and rare sea creatures. There are also some outright miracles of evolution: giant clams that weigh a quarter of a ton, for example, and a lake teeming with 21 million softly pulsating, stingless jellyfish.

On land the republic embraces Micronesia´s richest flora and fauna: exotic birds fly, crocodiles slip through the swamps and orchids sprout profusely in backyards.

The Palauan archipelago encompasses the polyglot state of Koror; the marvellous Rock Islands; Micronesia´s second-largest island, Babeldaob (the land that Pacific Standard Time forgot); Peleliu, once war-ravaged, now just ravishing; tranquil, tiny Angaur; the coral atolls of Kayangel and Ngeruangel; and the remote South-West Islands.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Palau National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
57	Bulgaria	56
58	Bahamas	58
59	Malaysia	59
60	Palau	60
61	Panama	60
62	Antigua & Barbuda	62
63	Seychelles	63
64	Mauritius	64
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	84.2
2	Sweden	83.7
3	Finland	83.5
	...
165	Zambia	43.7
166	Algeria	43.5
167	Guinea	42.8
168	Palau	42.8
169	Eritrea	42.6
170	Swaziland	42.4
171	S. Sudan	42.3
172	Mozambique	42.1
	World Avg	54.1
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#health #immigration #life_expectancy #population

Emigrants (2010)13
Pos.		%13
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
11	Barbados	41.0
12	Suriname	39.0
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.9
14	Palau	38.8
15	St Vincent & Grenadines	37.7
16	Cape Verde	37.6
17	Jamaica	36.1
18	Armenia	28.2
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Immigrants (2010)13
Pos.		%13
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
14	Luxembourg	35.2
15	Liechtenstein	34.6
16	Oman	28.4
17	Palau	28.1
18	Saudi Arabia	27.8
19	Australia	25.7
20	Antigua & Barbuda	23.6
21	Switzerland	23.2
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)14
Pos.		Higher is better Years14
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
99	St Vincent & Grenadines	73.04
100	Paraguay	73.00
101	Tonga	72.99
102	Palau	72.87
103	Vanuatu	72.11
104	Guatemala	72.06
105	Bangladesh	71.99
106	Libya	71.76
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)15
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth15
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
188	Marshall Islands	55 717
189	St Kitts & Nevis	53 697
190	Liechtenstein	36 584
191	Monaco	35 444
192	San Marino	31 945
193	Palau	20 758
194	Nauru	10 370
195	Tuvalu	9 867
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Palau's population is predicted to rise to 24 742 by 2030.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Politics and Freedom

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)16
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties16
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
187	Singapore	5
188	Nauru	5
189	Marshall Islands	4
190	Myanmar (Burma)	4
191	Palau	4
192	Malaysia	4
193	Bhutan	3
194	Kiribati	3
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

5. Gender Equality

#politics #women

Year Women Can Vote17
Pos.		Lower is better Year17
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
171	Guinea-Bissau	1977
172	Zimbabwe	1978
173	Marshall Islands	1979
174	Palau	1979
175	Micronesia	1979
176	Iraq	1980
177	Vanuatu	1980
178	Liechtenstein	1984
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

6. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₁₈:

Christian	86.7%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.8%
Folk Religion	0.8%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witnesses 0.9%, Mormon 0.6%, other 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)₁₉.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

7. The Internet

#internet #the_internet

IPv6 Uptake (2017)20
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio20
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
157	Brunei	0.0
158	Aruba	0.0
159	Bahrain	0.0
160	Palau	0.0
161	Equatorial Guinea	0.0
162	Belize	0.0
163	Suriname	0.0
164	Grenada	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #health #vaccines

Alcohol Consumption (2010)21
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita21
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
125	Tanzania	7.7
126	Georgia	7.7
127	Norway	7.7
128	Palau	7.9
129	Niue	8.0
130	Panama	8.0
131	Guyana	8.1
132	Peru	8.1
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)22
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %22
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
101	France	92.6
102	El Salvador	92.4
103	Swaziland	92.4
104	Palau	92.4
105	Vietnam	92.3
106	Denmark	92.3
107	Azerbaijan	92.2
108	Australia	92.1
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries

There isn't much information in the database for Palau, most likely because it is either a part of another country (i.e., a territory or posession) and therefore most international statistics are counted for the country as a whole, or, this is such an exotic place that little data exists about it.