Palau Geography - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

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

Area comparison map

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

1,519 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Terrain

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

Elevation

highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land: 10.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 87.6% (2018 est.)

other: 1.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population is located on the southern end of the main island of Babelthuap

Natural hazards

typhoons (June to December)

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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

NOTE: The information regarding Palau on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Palau 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Palau 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.