Part 572

Merchant marine: total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 345,606 GRT/560,641 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 19, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Airports: total: 100 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 12 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 19 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 25 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 11 with paved runways under 914 m: 18 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 7 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 8 (1995 est.)

Heliports: 6 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 1.572 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system: the domestic system is mediocre, but adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the major portion of the population domestic: microwave radio relay international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 26, FM 8, shortwave 11

Radios: 11.3 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 29

Televisions: 2.08 million (1993 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard

Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 30,519,339 males fit for military service: 18,720,175 males reach military age (17) annually: 1,437,208 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, 5.3% of GDP (FY95/96)

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@Palau -----

Map ---

Location: 7 30 N, 134 30 E -- Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines

Flag ----

Description: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side

Geography ---------

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 area: 458 sq km land area: 458 sq km comparative area: 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