Category Geography

          Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Palau has an area of 466 square kilometres.

          It consists of some 340 coral and volcanic islands.

          Palau became an independent state in 1994, after gaining its sovereignty from the US. The population of Palau is 21,032. The most populous island is Koror.

          The original settlers of Palau are believed to have arrived from Indonesia as early as 2500 BC. The capital Ngerulmud is located on the nearby island of Babeldaob, in Melekeok State.

          Tourism is low key, although growing in economic importance. Many visitors come from Taiwan, with which Palau has diplomatic ties. Taiwanese aid boosts the economy. The government is Palau’s largest employer.

          There is concern that the low-lying islands could be badly affected by rising sea levels possibly due to climate change.

               Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. It covers a land area of 617 square kilometres and reported a population of 165,595 in the 2010 census. Its capital is Castries.

               On February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the United Kingdom. Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia’s economy. Most of the tourists to Saint Lucia arrive by cruise ship.

               Saint Lucia’s currency is the East Caribbean Dollar, a regional currency shared among members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECU).

               With two Nobel Prize winners, Saint Lucia boasts the world’s second highest ratio of Nobel laureates compared to the total population. Sir Arthur Lewis won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979, and poet Derek Walcott received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992.

            The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a country located in the western Pacific Ocean, and in the Micronesia cultural and ecological sub-region of Oceania. The Federated States of Micronesia is an independent sovereign island nation and a United States associated state consisting of four states —from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands.

            Though formally independent, in 1986 Micronesia signed a “Compact of Free Association” with the US. Under this, Washington took on responsibility for defence and gained the right to set up military bases and deny other nations’ access to Micronesia.

            It has the 14th largest exclusive economic zone in the world. The FSM has a population of about 110,000 inhabitants. The largest island is Pohnpei, home to the nation’s capital Palikir. Largest city is Weno on Chuuk, a huge atoll west of Pohnpei. English is the official language.

               Singapore is located at the-southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, about 137 kilometres north of the Equator. It consists of the diamond-shaped Singapore Island, and some 60 small islets.

               Singapore became an independent state in 1965, after the expulsion from Malaysia.

               The currency of the country is the Singapore dollar. Singapore is the largest port in Southeast Asia, and is one of the busiest in the world. Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub. The country has also been identified as a tax haven.

               Chinese account for more than 75 per cent of Singapore’s multi-racial population, with Malays and Indians making up much of the remainder. It is ranked highly in education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety and housing.

               Singapore is also referred to as Garden City for its tree-lined streets and greening efforts since independence.

            Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. Located in the continent of Oceania, Tonga covers a total area of 748 square kilometres.

            Tonga became an independent state in 1970, after gaining its sovereignty from the United Kingdom. The population of Tonga is 107,122 and the nation has a density of 139 people per square kilometre. Tonga became known in the West as the Friendly Islands because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773.

            The capital city of Tonga is Nuku’alofa on the nation’s main island Tongatapu. The languages spoken are Tongan and English.

            Tonga voted in its first popularly elected parliament in 2010, ending 165 years of feudal rule. In 2015, the country elected its first non-noble prime minister.

            Tonga has no strategic or mineral resources, and relies on agriculture and fishing.

          Dominica is situated in the eastern Caribbean, south of Guadeloupe, and north of Martinique. Dominica is part of the Windward Islands, the southern group of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies.

          Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. The country has been a member of the Commonwealth since independence in 1978. The capital, Roseau, is located on the leeward side of the island.

          The island has a coastline of 148 km, its landscape is mountainous and of volcanic origin. The Sisserou parrot, also known as the imperial amazon is the island’s national bird and featured on the national flag. Dominica’s economy depends on tourism and agriculture.

          Dominica’s government system is that of a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations, based on its constitution which was adopted in 1978.

          The head of state is the president; the head of government is the prime minister. The currency of the country is East Caribbean dollar.