Palau is an island nation in the western Pacific Ocean, part of the Micronesia region of Oceania. It is renowned for its extraordinary marine biodiversity, including the famous Jellyfish Lake where visitors can swim among millions of stingless jellyfish. The country is made up of over 500 islands and is widely regarded as one of the world's top scuba diving destinations.
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Continent
- Oceania
- Region
- Micronesia
- Area
- 459 km²
- Coordinates
- 7.5° N, 134.5° E
Country facts
- Palau gained independence from a United States trusteeship in 1994, making it one of the world's newest nations.
- The Palauan language belongs to the Austronesian language family and is co-official with English.
- Palau established one of the world's first shark sanctuaries in 2009, banning commercial shark fishing in its waters.
- The Rock Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are mushroom-shaped limestone islets covered in dense jungle.
- Palau's flag features a yellow circle offset slightly toward the hoist on a light blue background, symbolizing the moon and ocean.
Capital facts
- Ngerulmud became Palau's official capital in 2006, replacing the former de facto capital Koror.
- It is located on the large island of Babeldaob, the biggest island in Palau by land area.
- The Capitol Complex in Ngerulmud was built with Japanese government funding and houses the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
- Ngerulmud is one of the least populous national capitals in the world, with only a small permanent population.
- The surrounding area of Babeldaob features ancient stone monoliths and traditional terraced hillsides left by early Palauan civilizations.