Palau (2002) | Liechtenstein (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatobohei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsoral | 11 communes (gemeinden, singular - gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 26.8% (male 2,678; female 2,522)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 7,241; female 6,074) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 426; female 468) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
18.41% (male 2,992; female 2,996) 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 11,455; female 11,511) 65 years and over: 10.99% (male 1,439; female 2,135) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes | wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products |
Airports | 3 (2001) | none |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 458 sq km
land: 458 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
160 sq km land: 160 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719; it became a sovereign state in 1806. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to conclude a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral) the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. However, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight have resulted in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for money laundering. |
Birth rate | 19.32 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.53 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $57.7 million
expenditures: $80.8 million, including capital expenditures of $17.1 million |
revenues:
$424.2 million expenditures: $414.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | Koror; note - a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror | Vaduz |
Climate | wet season May to November; hot and humid | continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers |
Coastline | 1,519 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 1 January 1981 | 5 October 1921 |
Country name | 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) |
conventional long form:
Principality of Liechtenstein conventional short form: Liechtenstein local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein local short form: Liechtenstein |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | Swiss franc (CHF) |
Death rate | 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 (FY99/00) | $0 (1996) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: the Ambassador to the Philippines is accredited to Palau; Charge d'Affaires Ronald A. HARMS
embassy: address NA, Koror mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940 telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990 FAX: [680] 488-2911 |
the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein, but the US Ambassador to Switzerland is also accredited to Liechtenstein |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) |
Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the US, Claudia FRITSCHE, is dually accredited to the UN in New York |
Disputes - international | none | Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918 |
Economic aid - recipient | $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, provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in return for furnishing military facilities | none |
Economy - overview | The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. Business and tourist arrivals numbered 50,000 in FY00/01. The population enjoys a per capita income twice that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development. | Despite its small size and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized, free-enterprise economy with a vital financial service sector and living standards on a par with the urban areas of its large European neighbors. Low business taxes - the maximum tax rate is 18% - and easy incorporation rules have induced 73,700 holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein, providing 30% of state revenues. The country participates in a customs union with Switzerland and uses the Swiss franc as its national currency. It imports more than 90% of its energy requirements. Liechtenstein has been a member of the European Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and EU) since May 1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - imports | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m |
lowest point:
Ruggeller Riet 430 m highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m |
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 | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70%, Asian (mainly Filipinos, followed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese) 28%, white 2% (2000 est.) | Alemannic 87.5%, Italian, Turkish, and other 12.5% |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.6303 (January 2001), 1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999), 1.4498 (1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state:
Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS, son of the monarch (born 11 June 1968) head of government: Head of Government Mario FRICK (since 15 December 1993) and Deputy Head of Government Michael RITTER (since 2 February 1997) cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Diet; confirmed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the Diet is usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the largest minority party in the Diet is usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch |
Exports | $11 million f.o.b. (1999) | $2.47 billion (1996) |
Exports - commodities | shellfish, tuna, copra, garments | small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps, hardware, pottery |
Exports - partners | US, Japan, Singapore | EU and EFTA countries 60.57% (Switzerland 15.7%) (1995) |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
Flag description | light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side | two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $174 million
note: GDP numbers reflect US spending (2001 est.) |
purchasing power parity - $730 million (1998 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $23,000 (1998 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 7 30 N, 134 30 E | 47 10 N, 9 32 E |
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 | along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation |
Highways | total: 61 km
paved: 36 km unpaved: 25 km |
total:
250 km paved: 250 km unpaved: 0 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | multilateral organizations engaged in issuing international guidelines for financial sector oversight have found gaps in Liechtenstein's financial services controls that make it vulnerable to money laundering |
Imports | $126 million f.o.b. (1999) | $917.3 million (1996) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs | machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles |
Imports - partners | US | EU countries, Switzerland (1996) |
Independence | 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) | 23 January 1719 Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established; 12 July 1806 established independence from the Holy Roman Empire |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making | electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 16.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2000 est.) | 0.5% (1997 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO | CE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, IAEA, ICRM, IFRCS, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO (observer), WIPO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2002) | 44 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland) (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas | Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Superior Court or Obergericht |
Labor force | 8,300 (1999) | 22,891 of which 13,847 are foreigners; 8,231 commute from Austria and Switzerland to work each day |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 20%, industry NA%, services NA% (1990) | industry, trade, and building 45%, services 53%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 2% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
76 km border countries: Austria 35 km, Switzerland 41 km |
Land use | arable land: 21.74%
permanent crops: 0% other: 78.26% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
24% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 35% other: 25% (1993 est.) |
Languages | 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) | German (official), Alemannic dialect |
Legal system | based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws | local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the Senate (9 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 - NA%; seats - independents 9; House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 16 |
unicameral Diet or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote under proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 9-11 February 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 49.90%, VU 41.35%, FL 8.71%; seats by party - FBP 13, VU 11, FL 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.19 years
male: 66.07 years female: 72.5 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
78.95 years male: 75.32 years female: 82.6 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92% male: 93% female: 90% (1980 est.) |
definition:
age 10 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1981 est.) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines | Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
extended fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
Military - note | 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 | defense is the responsibility of Switzerland |
Military branches | NA | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 9 July (1979) | Assumption Day, 15 August |
Nationality | noun: Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan |
noun:
Liechtensteiner(s) adjective: Liechtenstein |
Natural hazards | typhoons (June to December) | NA |
Natural resources | forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals | hydroelectric potential, arable land |
Net migration rate | 3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Fatherland Union or VU [Dr. Oswald KRANZ]; Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Dr. Ernst WALCH]; The Free List or FL [Dr. Pepo FRICK, Karin JENNY, Rene HASLER] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 19,409 (July 2002 est.) | 32,528 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.61% (2002 est.) | 0.98% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Koror | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 12,000 (1997) | 21,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total:
18.5 km; note - owned, operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways standard gauge: 18.5 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified) |
Religions | Christian (Roman Catholics 49%, 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) | Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 7.4%, unknown 7.7%, other 4.9% (1996) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth:
1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 20 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment:
automatic telephone system domestic: NA international: linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,700 (2002) | 20,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,000 (2002) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997) |
Terrain | varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs | mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third |
Total fertility rate | 2.47 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.5 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.3% (2000 est.) | 1.8% (February 1999) |
Waterways | none | none |