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Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) - Palau (2001)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) z Palau (2001)

 British Virgin Islands (2008)Palau (2001)
 British Virgin IslandsPalau
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) 18 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatobohei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Palau Island, Peleliu, Sonsoral, Tobi
Age structure 0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337)


15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
0-14 years:
26.88% (male 2,641; female 2,491)

15-64 years:
68.46% (male 7,128; female 5,943)

65 years and over:
4.66% (male 420; female 469) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes
Airports 3 (2007) 3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
total:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Area total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
total:
458 sq km

land:
458 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. 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 independent status 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 their independence.
Birth rate 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 19.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
revenues:
$57.7 million

expenditures:
$80.8 million, including capital expenditures of $17.1 million (FY98/99 est.)
Capital name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Koror; note - a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds wet season May to November; hot and humid
Coastline 80 km 1,519 km
Constitution 13 June 2007 1 January 1981
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
conventional long form:
Republic of Palau

conventional short form:
Palau

local long form:
Beluu er a Belau

local short form:
Belau

former:
Palau District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Currency - US dollar (USD)
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.23 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) $0 (FY99/00)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
the Ambassador to the Philippines is accredited to Palau; Charge d'Affaires Allen E. NUGENT

embassy:
address NA, Koror

mailing address:
P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940

telephone:
[680] 488-2920, 2990

FAX:
[680] 488-2911
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador Hersey KYOTA

chancery:
1150 18th Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:
[1] (202) 452-6814

FAX:
[1] (202) 452-6281
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $155.8 million (1995); note - the Compact of Free Association with the US, entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994, will provide Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in return for furnishing military facilities
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959. The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. The population enjoys a per capita income of twice that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific and the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries.
Electricity - consumption 41.85 million kWh (2005) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - production 45 million kWh (2005) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Ngerchelchauus 242 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) 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

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed) Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70%, Asian (mainly Filipinos, followed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese) 28%, white 2% (2000 est.)
Exchange rates the US dollar is used the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)


head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
chief of state:
President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU Jr. (since 19 January 2001) and Vice President Sandra PIERANTOZZI (since 19 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU Jr. (since 19 January 2001) and Vice President Sandra PIERANTOZZI (since 19 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Cabinet

elections:
president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

election results:
Tommy Esang REMENGESAU Jr. elected president; percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU Jr. 53%, Peter SUGIYAMA 46%; Sandra PIERANTOZZI elected vice president; percent of vote - Sandra PIERANTOZZI 52%, Alan SEID 45%
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) $14.3 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports - commodities rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand trochus (type of shellfish), tuna, copra, handicrafts
Exports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) US, Japan
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 October - 30 September
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
GDP - purchasing power parity - $129 million (1998 est.)

note:
GDP numbers reflect US spending
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $7,100 (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1% (2002 est.) -1.4% (1998 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 7 30 N, 134 30 E
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
Highways - total:
61 km

paved:
36 km

unpaved:
25 km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering -
Imports 604.3 bbl/day (2004) $126 million (f.o.b., FY99/00)
Imports - commodities building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) US
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making
Infant mortality rate total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
16.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2005) NA%
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU ACP, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - NA
Irrigated land NA NA sq km
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas
Labor force 12,770 (2004) 8,300 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4% (2005)
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
arable land:
NA%

permanent crops:
NA%

permanent pastures:
NA%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%
Languages English (official) English and Palauan official in all states except Sonsoral (Sonsorolese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official)
Legal system English law based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Legislative branch unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
bicameral Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the Senate (16 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004); House of Delegates - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; House of Delegates - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.86 years


male: 75.71 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
total population:
68.89 years

male:
65.77 years

female:
72.19 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
92%

male:
93%

female:
90% (1980 est.)
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive fishing zone:
12 NM

extended fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM
Merchant marine - none (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted access to the islands for 50 years
Military branches - NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
National holiday Territory Day, 1 July (1956) Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
Nationality noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
noun:
Palauan(s)

adjective:
Palauan
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) typhoons (June to December)
Natural resources NEGL forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals
Net migration rate 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 4.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] Palau Nationalist Party [Johnson TORIBIONG]; Ta Belau Party [Kuniwo NAKAMURA]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 23,552 (July 2007 est.) 19,092 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.923% (2007 est.) 1.69% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - Koror
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 12,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991) Christian (Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and Latter-Day Saints), Modekngei religion (one-third of the population observes this religion which is indigenous to Palau)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female


total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.2 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.9 male(s)/female

total population:
1.14 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 11,700 (2002) 1,500 (1988)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,000 (2002) 0 (1988)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997) 1 (1997)
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.) 2.47 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.6% (1997) 2.3% (2000 est.)
Waterways - none
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