Geography
Palau
Area
land
459 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
459 sq km
Climate
tropical; characterized by hot and humid conditions; wet season spans from May to November
Terrain
diverse topography ranging from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low-lying coral islands typically bordered by extensive barrier reefs
Land use
other
0% (2023 est.)
forest
90.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
9.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 4.3% (2023 est.)
Location
Oceania, a collection of islands situated in the North Pacific Ocean, to the southeast of the Philippines
Coastline
1,519 km
Elevation
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Map references
Oceania
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
typhoons occur from June to December
Geography - note
the westernmost group of islands in the Caroline archipelago, comprising six island groups with over 300 islands; famous for the renowned Rock Islands
Natural resources
forests, minerals (notably gold), marine resources, and deep-seabed minerals
Area - comparative
approximately 2.5 times larger than Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
7 30 N, 134 30 E
Population distribution
the majority of the population resides in the southern region of the main island of Babelthuap