Palau Geography Profile 2009

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines

Geographic coordinates

7 30 N, 134 30 E

Map references

Oceania

Area

total: 459 sq km
land: 459 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

1,519 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Terrain

varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m

Natural resources

forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals

Land use

arable land: 8.7%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 86.95% (2005)

Irrigated land

NA

Natural hazards

typhoons (June to December)

Environment - current issues

inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing practices, and overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands