Palau Passport

[Country Name] The Republic of Palau.

The land area is 459 square kilometers, and the marine exclusive economic zone covers an area of approximately 629000 square kilometers.

Population: 18000. Mostly belonging to the Micronesian ethnic group. The official language is Palauan and English is commonly used. 73% of the residents in the country believe in Christianity, of which 41.6% believe in Roman Catholicism and 28.3% believe in Protestantism.

【 Capital 】 Melekeok. Moved here from Koror on October 1, 2006.

【 Head of State 】 Surangel Whipps Jr., elected in November 2020 and inaugurated in January 2021 for a four-year term.

Independence Day: October 1st. Constitution Day: July 9th.

【 Overview 】 Located in the western Pacific, over 700 miles south of Guam, it belongs to the Caroline Islands and is one of the gateways from the Pacific to Southeast Asia. The coastline is 1519 kilometers long. Composed of over 300 volcanic and coral islands, distributed over a sea area of 640 kilometers from north to south, only nine islands have permanent residents. The largest island is Babelthuap, with an area of 352 square kilometers, second only to Guam in the region. It has a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 27 ℃. The rainy season is from May to November, and the dry season is from December to April of the following year. The average annual precipitation is over 3000 millimeters.

Discovered by Spanish explorers in 1710. It was occupied by Spain in 1885. In 1898, it was sold to Germany by Spain. It was occupied by Japan during World War I. It was captured by the United States during World War II. In 1947, the United Nations placed it under the trusteeship of the United States, forming the four political entities of the Pacific Islands Trust Territory along with the Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia. In 1969, Palau began negotiations with the United States regarding its future political status. In August 1982, Pa signed the Treaty of Free Association with the United States, which was passed in a referendum held in Pa in November 1993. According to the treaty, Palau ended its trusteeship status on October 1, 1994 and became an independent sovereign state, but still maintained a special relationship with the United States. In December of the same year, Palau joined the United Nations.

Politics: Implement a presidential system, where the president is both the head of state and the head of government. The minister is appointed by the president. The Grand Chieftain Council participates in politics and has a significant influence in the politics of Pakistan. The two highest chiefs of Pa are respectively called Ibedul and Reklai, enjoying a reputation comparable to that of the president. The country is divided into 16 states, each of which establishes its own constitution. In November 2020, a general election was held and Sarangel Whips was elected president.

The Constitution was passed on July 9, 1980 and came into effect on January 1, 1981.

The parliament is composed of both houses of parliament. The Senate has greater power than the House of Representatives and has the authority to make recommendations and vote on presidential candidates. There are 13 senators in the Senate and 16 members in the House of Representatives, each serving a four-year term. Both houses have positions of chairman and vice chairman. The current parliament was elected in the November 2020 general election. Senate Speaker Hokkon Baules and House Speaker Sabino Anastasio.

The President and Vice President of the government are elected by universal suffrage for a term of four years. After assuming the presidency in January 2021, Sarangel Whips made significant adjustments to government departments and established the Ministry of Human Resources, Tourism, Culture, and Development. At present, there are a total of 9 cabinet members: President Surangel Whipps Jr., Vice President and Minister of Justice Jerrlyn Uduch Sengebau Senior, Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, Minister of Finance Kaleb Udui Jr., Minister of Infrastructure and Commerce Charles Obichang, Minister of Human Resources, Tourism, Culture and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Steven Victor, Minister of Health and Human Services Gaafar J. Uherbelau. Secretary of Education Dale Jenkins.

[Administrative divisions] The country is divided into 16 states.

The judicial system includes three levels of courts: the Supreme Court, national courts, and subordinate courts, as well as land courts. The Chief Justice of the High Court is Arthur Ngiraklsong, who took office in 1992 and has a lifetime tenure.

[Important Person] Sarangel Whips: President. Born in August 1968 in the United States, graduated from Andrews University and the University of California, Los Angeles. Long term business. He served as the eighth and ninth senator of Palau from 2008 to 2016. Elected as the 11th President of Palau in November 2020 and inaugurated in January 2021.

Palau is one of the Pacific island countries with a relatively high standard of living for its people. The economy relies on foreign aid. The tourism industry is developing rapidly. The service industry contributes over 80% to the gross domestic product and accounts for half of the total employment in the country. In 2010, the government revised the Foreign Investment Law and actively introduced foreign investment in fields such as energy, tourism, and civil aviation, injecting vitality into economic development. In recent years, due to factors such as insufficient reception capacity and reduced flight routes, the development challenges of the economy in Pakistan have increased. Before the COVID-19, the economy kept growing.

The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 270 million US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 15080 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 0.8%.

Currency name: US dollar.

(Source: International Monetary Fund)

The main agricultural products include eggs, fruits, vegetables, pork, betel nuts, etc. Abundant in tuna, with an annual catch of 60000 to 70000 tons. Food cannot be self-sufficient.

Tourism is one of the pillar industries in Pakistan, accounting for about 50% of the country's gross domestic product. In 2019, there were approximately 89000 inbound tourists, a year-on-year decrease of 22.6%. In 2019, 28000 Chinese tourists visited Palau, making it the largest source of tourists for Palau. The Rock Islands have the best marine ecosystem in the Pacific region. During the COVID-19, the number of international flights to and from Pakistan decreased significantly, and the number of tourists dropped sharply.

There are no railways within the territory for transportation. There are airports, ports, and satellite communication systems.

Highway: Total length of 61 kilometers. No public transportation facilities.

Water transportation: Koror is the main port.

Air freight: There are three airports in total. There are regular flights to and from the United States, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Guam and Taiwan, China.

Foreign trade mainly imports machinery, automobiles, fuel, industrial products, food, etc., and exports shellfish, tuna, and dried coconut.

According to the Treaty of Free Association between Palau and the United States, the United States provides significant assistance to Palau. The United States provided over 800 million US dollars in rental assistance to PA during the first 15 years of the treaty's effectiveness (1994-2009), of which 70 million US dollars were deposited into the PA Trust Fund. The fund has exceeded $144 million and will be used to subsidize the finances of Pakistan after the end of the Treaty of Amity. The United States will also provide $229 million in aid to Pakistan from 2010 to 2024. The US aid accounts for about 20% of the country's gross domestic product. Japan is the second largest aid donor to Palau.

There is 1 hospital and 13 clinics in People's Life. There are about 20 doctors. The average life expectancy of the population is about 70 years.

According to the Treaty of Free Association between Palau and the United States, from 1994 to 2044, the defense of Palau will be the responsibility of the United States. The US Coast Guard is responsible for patrolling the Pacific Ocean. Pa is a nuclear free zone.

There are 25 primary schools, 6 secondary schools, and 1 junior college, namely Palau Community College.

The main newspapers include the bi weekly newspaper Tia Belau and Island Times. There are two radio stations. There are satellite ground receiving stations and cable television stations that can receive programs such as CNN.

Palau is committed to developing friendly relations with other countries, attaching importance to strengthening cooperation with countries in the Asia Pacific region, and actively participating in regional affairs. As a member of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community, Inter Parliamentary Union, and World Health Organization. Established diplomatic relations with 60 countries. Ambassador level permanent representative to the United Nations and honorary consul to the Netherlands.

The Treaty of Free Association between the United States and the United States came into effect on October 1, 1994, with a validity period of 50 years. According to the treaty, Palau has domestic and foreign autonomy, and the United States is responsible for its national defense and strategic security affairs, providing weather forecasts, medical care, and natural disaster relief, and has exclusive use rights over the Palau Channel. Pam and the United States establish embassies with each other. In 2010, the United States sent its first permanent ambassador to Pakistan (previously serving as charg é d'affaires). Pa also has consulates general in Guam, Hawaii, and Saipan. In May 2019, US President Trump held a group meeting at the White House with Palauan President Remengesau and leaders of the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia. In August 2020, US Defense Secretary Esper visited Palau and met with Palauan President Remengesau. In August 2021, Palau President Huips visited the United States and met with US Defense Secretary Austin. In September 2022, Palauan President Huips went to the United States to attend the first US Pacific Island Leaders' Summit. In May 2023, Palau renewed the Free Association Treaty with the United States. In September 2023, Palauan President Huips will attend the second United States Pacific Islands Forum Summit in the United States.

Japan is the second largest aid donor to Palau and the main export market for Pacific tuna and mackerel. In 1999, Pari established embassies with each other. Pa has already sent an ambassador to Japan, and Japan sent a permanent ambassador to Pa in March 2010. In May 2022, Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng visited Pakistan.

On October 1, 1994, Pakistan established diplomatic relations with Australia. Australian Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia and Ambassador to Pakistan. In June 2018, Australian Foreign Minister Bishop visited Pakistan. In December 2022, Australian Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian visited Pakistan.