Part 53
Long-form name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Type: commonwealth in political union with the US and administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior Capital: Saipan Administrative divisions: none Independence: none (commonwealth in political union with the US) Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986 Legal system: based on US system except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978) Executive branch: US President; governor, lieutenant governor Legislative branch: bicameral Legislature consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: Commonwealth Court and the Federal District Court Leaders: Chief of State: President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989) Head of Government: Governor Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO (since 9 January 1990); Lieutenant Governor Benjamin T. MANGLONA (since 9 January 1990) Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Alonzo IGISOMAR; Democratic Party, Felicidad OGUMORO Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections Elections: Governor: last held in November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results - Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected governor Senate: last held on November 1991 (next to be held November 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (9 total) Republications 6, Democrats 3 House of Representatives: last held in November 1991 (next to be held November 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) Republicans 5, Democrats 10 US House of Representatives: the Commonwealth does not have a nonvoting delegate in Congress; instead, it has an elected official ``resident representative'' located in Washington, DC; seats - (1 total) Republican (Juan N. BABAUTA) Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC Diplomatic representation: none Flag: blue with a white five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center
:Northern Mariana Islands Economy
Overview: The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about 10% of the work force. Japanese tourists predominate. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature - mostly handicrafts and fish processing. GNP: purchasing power equivalent - $165 million, per capita $3,498; real growth rate NA% (1982); note - GNP numbers reflect US spending Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $112.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (February 1990) Exports: $153.9 million (1989) commodities: manufactured goods, garments, vegetables, beef, pork partners: NA Imports: $313.7 million, a 43% increase over previous year (1989) commodities: NA partners: NA External debt: none Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle Economic aid: none Currency: US currency is used Exchange rates: US currency is used Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
:Northern Mariana Islands Communications
Highways: 381.5 km total (134.5 km first-grade primary, 55 km secondary, 192 km local) (1991) Ports: Saipan, Rota, Tinian Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM (1984), 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
:Northern Mariana Islands Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
:Norway Geography
Total area: 324,220 km2 Land area: 307,860 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico Land boundaries: 2,515 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km Coastline: 21,925 km; includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 10 nm Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 4 nm Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen; maritime boundary dispute with Russia over portion of Barents Sea Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 27%; other 70%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: air and water pollution; acid rain; note - strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with Russia
:Norway People
Population: 4,294,876 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992) Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Norwegian(s); adjective - Norwegian Ethnic divisions: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps Religions: Evangelical Lutheran (state church) 87.8%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3.8%, none 3.2%, unknown 5.2% (1980) Languages: Norwegian (official); small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.) Labor force: 2,167,000 (September 1990); services 34.7%, commerce 18%, mining and manufacturing 16.6%, banking and financial services 7.5%, transportation and communications 7.2%, construction 7.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6.4% (1989) Organized labor: 66% of labor force (1985)
:Norway Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Norway Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Oslo Administrative divisions: 19 provinces (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, OCstfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold Independence: 26 October 1905 (from Sweden) Constitution: 17 May 1814, modified in 1884 Dependent areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814) Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, State Council (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Storting) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hoiesterett) Leaders: Chief of State: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS (born 20 July 1973) Head of Government: Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since 3 November 1990) Political parties and leaders: Labor, Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND; Conservative, Kaci Kullmann FIVE; Center Party, Anne Enger LAHNSTEIN; Christian People's, Kjell Magne BONDEVIK; Socialist Left, Erick SOLHEIM; Norwegian Communist, Kare Andre NILSEN; Progress, Carl I. HAGEN; Liberal, Odd Einar DORUM; Finnmark List, leader NA Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: Storting: last held on 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 1993); results - Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%, Christian People's 8.5%, Center Party 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, other 5%; seats - (165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left 17, Christian People's 14, Center Party 11, Finnmark List 1 Communists: 15,500 est.; 5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000 Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese) Member of: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
:Norway Government
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6000; there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans US: Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO AE 09707); telephone [47] (2) 44-85-50; FAX [47] (2) 43-07-77 Flag: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
:Norway Economy
Overview: Norway has a mixed economy involving a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector, through large-scale state enterprises and extensively subsidizes agricultural, fishing, and other sectors. Norway also maintains an extensive welfare system that helps propel public-sector expenditures to slightly more than 50% of the GDP and results in one of the highest average tax burdens in the world (54%). A small country with a high dependence on international trade, Norway is basically an exporter of raw materials and semiprocessed goods, with an abundance of small- and medium-sized firms, and is ranked among the major shipping nations. The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil sector to keep its economy afloat. Although one of the government's main priorities is to reduce this dependency, this situation is not likely to improve for years to come. The government also hopes to reduce unemployment and strengthen and diversify the economy through tax reform and an expansionary 1992 budget. Forecasters predict that economic growth will rise slightly in 1992 because of public-sector expansion and moderate improvements in private investment and demand. Inflation will remain about 3%, while unemployment continues at record levels of over 5% because of the weakness of the economy outside the oil sector. Oslo, a member of the European Free Trade Area, is continuing to deregulate and harmonize with EC regulations to prepare for the European Economic Area (EEA) - which creates a EC/EFTA market with free movement of capital, goods, services, and labor - which takes effect in 1993. GDP: purchasing power equivalent - $72.9 billion, per capita $17,100; real growth rate 4.1% (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1991) Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1991, excluding people in job-training programs) Budget: revenues $47.9 billion; expenditures $52.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991) Exports: $34.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 36.5%, natural gas 7.5%, fish 7%, aluminum 6%, ships 6.2%, pulp and paper partners: EC 66.5%, Nordic countries 19.5%, developing countries 7.8%, US 4.6%, Japan 1.9% (1991) Imports: $25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships partners: EC 46.8%, Nordic countries 26.1%, developing countries 12.3%, US 7.8%, Japan 4.7% (1991) External debt: $10.2 billion (1991) Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1991) Electricity: 26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita (1991)
:Norway Economy
Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing Agriculture: accounts for 2.8% of GDP and 6.4% of labor force; among world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.76 million metric tons in 1989 Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion Currency: Norwegian krone (plural - kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 re Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.1956 (January 1992), 6.4829 (1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987) Fiscal year: calendar year
:Norway Communications
Railroads: 4,223 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Norwegian State Railways (NSB) operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4 km other Highways: 79,540 km total; 38,580 km paved; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth Inland waterways: 1,577 km along west coast; 2.4 m draft vessels maximum Pipelines: refined products 53 km Ports: Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim Merchant marine: 864 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,978,202 GRT/40,128,177 DWT; includes 12 passenger, 20 short-sea passenger, 118 cargo, 2 passenger-cargo, 19 refrigerated cargo, 16 container, 49 roll-on/roll-off, 22 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 180 oil tanker, 93 chemical tanker, 83 liquefied gas, 28 combination ore/oil, 211 bulk, 10 combination bulk; note - the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships (777) under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft Airports: 103 total, 102 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 3,102,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 46 AM, 350 private and 143 government FM, 54 (2,100 repeaters) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; 3 communications satellite earth stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems
:Norway Defense Forces
Branches: Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,129,871; 944,290 fit for military service; 33,175 reach military age (20) annually Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.8 billion, 3.8% of GDP (1991)
:Oman Geography
Total area: 212,460 km2 Land area: 212,460 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas Land boundaries: 1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km Coastline: 2,092 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: to be defined Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: no defined boundary with most of UAE; Administrative Line with UAE in far north; there is a proposed treaty with Yemen (which has not yet been formally accepted) to settle the Omani-Yemeni boundary Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south Terrain: vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)
:Oman People
Population: 1,587,581 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992) Birth rate: 41 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 69 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Omani(s); adjective - Omani Ethnic divisions: mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shi`a Muslim, some Hindu Languages: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: 430,000; agriculture 60% (est.); 58% are non-Omani Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
:Oman Government
Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence Capital: Muscat Administrative divisions: there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); Musqat, Musandam, Zufar Independence: 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese Constitution: none Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day, 18 November Executive branch: sultan, Cabinet Legislative branch: National Assembly Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Sa`id Al Sa`id (since 23 July 1970) Suffrage: none Elections: elections scheduled for October 1992 Other political or pressure groups: outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in Yemen Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Awadh bin Badr AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982 US: Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50202 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat); telephone [968] 698-989; FAX [968] 604-316 Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double width) with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band
:Oman Economy
Overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for more than 90% of export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $10.6 billion, per capita $6,925 (1990); real growth rate 0.5% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures $4.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $825 million (1990) Exports: $5.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: petroleum, reexports, fish, processed copper, fruits and vegetables partners: Japan 35%, South Korea 21%, Singapore 7%, US 6% Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b, 1990) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants partners: UK 20%, UAE 20%, Japan 17%, US 7% External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector Electricity: 1,120,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 3,800 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $148 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million Currency: Omani rial (plural - rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1 - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986) Fiscal year: calendar year
:Oman Communications
Highways: 26,000 km total; 6,000 km paved, 20,000 km motorable track Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km Ports: Mina' Qabus, Mina' Raysut Merchant marine: 1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft Airports: 134 total, 127 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 73 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, microwave, and radio communications stations; limited coaxial cable 50,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; satellite earth stations - 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic
:Oman Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 359,394; 204,006 fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.73 billion, 16% of GDP (1992 budget)
:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Geography
Total area: 458 km2 Land area: 458 km2 Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 1,519 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 12 nm Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 3 nm Disputes: none Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid Terrain: about 200 islands varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-seabed minerals Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA% Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain Note: important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines; includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands
:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the People
Population: 15,775 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992) Birth rate: 23 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 73 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Palauan(s); adjective - Palauan Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races Religions: predominantly Christian, including Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and Latter-Day Saints; a third of the population observes the Modekngei religion, indigenous to Palau Languages: English is an official language, though Palauan is also official in 13 of Palau's 16 states, and Tobi and Sonsorolese are official in the 3 other states Literacy: 92% (male 93%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980) Labor force: NA Organized labor: NA
:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Government
Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence; note - Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US; constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, which was never approved in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap Administrative divisions: there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngardmau, Ngaremlengui, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngerchelong, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol, Tobi Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior Constitution: 1 January 1981 Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979) Executive branch: US president, US vice president, national president, national vice president Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates Judicial branch: Supreme Court, National Court, and Court of Common Pleas Leaders: Chief of State: President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); represented by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial Affairs, US Department of the Interior, Stella GUERRA (since 21 July 1989) and J. Victor HOBSON Jr., Director (since 16 December 1990) Head of Government: President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988), Vice-President Kuniwo NAKAMURA (since 2 November 1988) Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Delegates: last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held NA November 1992); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (16 total); number of seats by party NA President: last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held NA November 1992); results - Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%, Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%, other 28.3%
:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Government