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: 458 sq km
land: 458 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 1,519 km

Maritime claims
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

Climate wet season May to November; hot and humid

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

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchauus 242 m

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

Land use
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards typhoons (June to December)

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

Environment - international agreements
party to: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note 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

NOTE: The information regarding Palau on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Palau Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Palau Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.