Cultural Demography
The Republic of Palau comprises more than 200 Pacific Ocean islands, only 8 of which are permanently inhabited. The first people to inhabit Palau arrived from what is now Indonesia more than 3,000 years ago, and the islands' population exceeded its current level during ancient times. Today, the population numbers less than 22,000.
A traditional matrilineal-reckoned kinship system remains the major determinant of social status, and continues to sustain a hierarchical status-based society.
Palauans' ethnic lineage is a composite of Polynesian, Malayan and Melanesian. Linguistically, Palauan, Sonsorolese, Anguar and Japanese are spoken, but English is the established official language. Christianity has become the predominant religion, but indigenous faiths, such as Modekngei, are still practiced.
Human Development
According to the World Health Organization, the population of Palau has a life expectancy at birth of 60 years of age. Also according to the World Health Organization, Palau is said to have an infant mortality rate of 18.5 deaths/1,000 live births. Other sources cite estimates with a longer life expectancy rate at 71.78 years of age (male: 68.63 years; female: 75.12 years) and an infant mortality rate at 12.43 deaths/1,000 live births.
In terms of literacy, 90 percent of the female population and 93 percent of the male population, age 15 and over, can read and write.
About 11.2 percent of GDP is spend on health expenditures. Access to water and sanitation is considered to be very good; however, sanitation standards can less than optimal in rural areas.
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief,
www.countrywatch.com; see Bibliography for list research sources.