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#redirect[[Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu]]
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[[Image:Ps-map.gif]]<br>
[[Image:Palau_and_oceania.jpg|Map of Palau and its ___location in Oceania]]
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The Republic of [[Palau]] consists of eight principal islands and more than 250 smaller ones lying roughly 500 miles southeast of the [[Philippines]]. The islands of Palau constitute part of the [[Caroline Islands]] chain.
'''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:'''
<br>''total:''
458 sq km
<br>''land:''
458 sq km
<br>''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:'''
<br>''continental shelf:''
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
<br>''exclusive fishing zone:''
12 nm
<br>''extended fishing zone:''
200 nm
<br>''territorial sea:''
3 nm
'''Climate:'''
wet season May to November; hot and humid
'''Terrain:'''
varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of [[Babeldaob]] to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
'''Elevation extremes:'''
<br>''lowest point:''
Pacific Ocean 0 m
<br>''highest point:''
Mount Ngerchelchauus 242 m (on Baeldaob)
'''Natural resources:'''
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals
'''Land use:'''
<br>''arable land:''
NA%
<br>''permanent crops:''
NA%
<br>''permanent pastures:''
NA%
<br>''forests and woodland:''
NA%
<br>''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:'''
<br>''party to:''
[[Biodiversity]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], Climate Change-[[Kyoto Protocol]], [[Desertification]], [[Law of the Sea]]
<br>''signed, but not ratified:''
none of the selected agreements
'''Geography - note:'''
includes [[World War II]] battleground of [[Peleliu]] and world-famous rock islands; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
:''See also :'' [[Palau]]
==External links==
* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/australia/palau_island.jpg Map of main island chain of Palau]
[[Category:Palau]]
[[Category:Geography by country|Palau]]
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