Palau (2003) | Brunei (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatobohei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsoral | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 2,714; female 2,552)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 7,352; female 6,197) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 429; female 473) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 54,243; female 52,013)
15-64 years: 68% (male 131,682; female 116,631) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 5,035; female 5,647) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes | rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo |
Airports | 3 (2002) | 2 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 458 sq km
land: 458 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Delaware |
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 Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the developing world. |
Birth rate | 19.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 19.33 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $57.7 million
expenditures: $80.8 million, including capital expenditures of $17.1 million (FY 98/99 est.) |
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.) |
Capital | Koror; note - a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror | Bandar Seri Begawan |
Climate | wet season May to November; hot and humid | tropical; hot, humid, rainy |
Coastline | 1,519 km | 161 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1981 | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) |
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: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | Bruneian dollar (BND) |
Death rate | 7 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 (FY 99/00) | $0 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: the Ambassador to the Philippines is accredited to Palau
embassy: address NA, Koror mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940 telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990 FAX: [680] 488-2911 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Gene B. CHRISTY
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507 telephone: [673] (2) 229670 FAX: [673] (2) 225293 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
chancery: 1800 K Street NW, Suite 714, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814 FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281 consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) |
chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH
chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 |
Disputes - international | none | in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their offshore and deepwater seabeds until negotiations progress to an agreement over allocation of disputed areas; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants |
Economic aid - recipient | $155.8 million ; 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 | $4.3 million (1995) |
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. | This small, wealthy economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 2.322 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | - | 2.497 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | 0% | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 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 | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia |
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: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70%, Asian (mainly Filipinos, followed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese) 28%, white 2% (2000 est.) | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000), 1.695 (1999) |
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: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
Exports | $18 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | shellfish, tuna, copra, garments | crude oil, natural gas, refined products |
Exports - partners | US, Japan, Singapore (2000) | Japan 41%, South Korea 11.2%, Thailand 9.4%, Australia 8.4%, US 7.8%, China 6.7%, Singapore 4.5% (2003) |
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 | yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $174 million
note: $174 million $174 million GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2001 est.) |
purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 45% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $18,600 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2001 est.) | 3% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 7 30 N, 134 30 E | 4 30 N, 114 40 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 | close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia |
Heliports | - | 3 (2003 est.) |
Highways | total: 61 km
paved: 36 km unpaved: 25 km |
total: 2,525 km
paved: 2,525 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty |
Imports | $99 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US, Guam, Japan, Singapore, Korea (2000) | Singapore 19.9%, Malaysia 19.8%, US 11.4%, Japan 9.9%, Hong Kong 6.5%, China 4.8%, Australia 4.3%, Thailand 4% (2003) |
Independence | 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) | 1 January 1984 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 5% (2002 est.) |
Industries | tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 15.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 13.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2000 est.) | -2% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO | APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2002) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 10 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas | Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms) |
Labor force | 9,845 (2000) | 143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 20%, industry NA%, services NA% (1990) | agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, government 48% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
Land use | arable land: 21.74%
permanent crops: 0% other: 78.26% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76% other: 98.67% (2001) |
Languages | English and Palauan official in all states except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official) | Malay (official), English, Chinese |
Legal system | based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws | based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas |
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 |
Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members
elections: last held in March 1962; date of next election NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.5 years
male: 66.37 years female: 72.82 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 74.54 years
male: 72.13 years female: 77.09 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92% male: 93% female: 90% (1980 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9% male: 96.3% female: 91.4% (2002) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
extended fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: United Kingdom 8 (2004 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 | - |
Military branches | NA | Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $339.5 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 5.9% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 112,630 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: approx. 60,000 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 3,425 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 9 July (1979) | National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection |
Nationality | noun: Palauan(s)
adjective: Palauan |
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
Natural hazards | typhoons (June to December) | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare |
Natural resources | forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals | petroleum, natural gas, timber |
Net migration rate | 3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 3.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | none | other parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and Brunei National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965, deregistered by the Brunei Government in 1988) |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 19,717 (July 2003 est.) | 365,251 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA (1992 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.54% (2003 est.) | 1.95% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Koror | Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | 0 km | - |
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) | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% |
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 (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | none |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,700 (2002) | 90,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,000 (2002) | 137,000 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west |
Total fertility rate | 2.47 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.3% (2000 est.) | 10% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004) |