Facts about Palau

Facts about Palau: Archipelago, Flag, Diving

50 Palau Facts for Kids

Here are some interesting facts about Palau which were chosen and researched especially for kids.

1. Palau is an island country in the Pacific Ocean. The country is located in Oceania.

The Palau archipelago lies in the North Pacific Ocean about 3,600 km to the North of Australia and the closest country is Papua New Guinea which lies about 400 km to the South of Palau.

Palau is located in the North Pacific Ocean

2. The Republic of Palau is one of the smallest countries in the world and belongs to the region of Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean. Palau is the western-most island of Micronesia.

3. Palau is about the same size in area as the Seychelles islands and is about 2.5 times bigger than Washington D.C.

4. Palau is an archipelago of 340 islands, islets and atolls. Only eight of the islands are inhabited.

5. The largest island is called Babeldaob and here you also find the capital city of the country, Ngerulmud.

6. The name of the country 'Palau' comes from the Palauan word 'beluu' and means "village" and reflects on the values and importance of the extended family to the Palauans.

7. Palau is home to about 21,000 people. Most of the people live on Koror island and the southern end of Babeldaop island.

Koror

8. The town of Koror was the capital of the country until 2006. Then the capital city was moved to Ngerulmud when the new capitol building of Palau was finished. This capitol in Ngerulmud is designed after the capitol building of the USA.

9. Ngerulmud only has government building but no permanent population. Palau's capital city is the least populous capital city in the world! Only about 300 people live in the state where the capital city is located.

Capitol of Palau in Ngerulmud

10. The republic has a democratic government. The head of state and head of government is President Surangel Samuel Whipps Junior. He was first elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2024. Whipps was born in 1968 in the USA and has an US American mother.

Palau Flag

11. The flag of Palau shows a yellow circle which is centered slightly toward the left side of the light blue flag. The blue color symbolizes the Pacific Ocean while the yellow circle resembles a full moon.

12. Facts about Palau History:

Palau was first inhabited about 2,000 to 3,000 years ago by Polynesians, Melanesians and people from Indonesia and the Philippines.
From 1710, Spanish explorers travelled in the region. From 1785, the islands repeatedly were claimed by the Spanish crown.
From 1899 till World War I, Palau was part of German New Guinea and then until the end of World War II, the Empire of Japan claimed it under the South Seas Mandate.
After World War II, the island nation came under United Nation protection as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Palau started the path to independence from 1978.

Listen to the anthem

13. In 1994 Palau became independent. Independence Day is celebrated annually on 1 October.

14. The national anthem of Palau is in Palauan and called "Belau Rekid" which translates to "Our Palau".

Facts about Palau | Geography

15. The largest island of Palau is called Babeldaob and is of volcanic origin like most islands. Kayangel island in the country's north is made up of a coral atoll.

16. Most islands in Palau have to be accessed by airplane or ship, however, the islands of Koror and Babelaob are linked by the Japan-Palau Friendship bridge.

Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge

17. About 75% of the country is covered by native forests and mangroves.

18. The Ngardmau Waterfall auf Babeldaob Island are the country's highest waterfalls with a drop of 217 m/ 712 ft.

Palau Ngardmau Waterfall

19. The climate is warm and tropical and although typhoons are rare as Palau is located outside of the typhoon zone. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, however, between July and October it rains more frequently.

The annual mean temperature is 27° Celsius/ 82° Fahrenheit.

20. Climate change with global rise of the sea levels and rising temperatures are an acute risk to the country.

Geography Superlatives

21. The mushroom-shaped Rock Islands are a unique landmark. The uninhabited islands are surrounded by a lagoon and are listed as a World Heritage Site. The Rock Islands house one of the world’s greatest concentrations of coral and marine life.

Rock islands

22. There are 52 marine lakes in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon. No lagoon in the world has more marine lakes!

23. One of these unique saline lakes houses millions of golden jellyfish and is a major tourist attraction. Here one can snorkel with the fascinating golden jellyfish, whose sting is harmless, for an access fee of USD100.

Snorkelling in jellyfish lake

24. The highest point in Palau is Mount Ngerchelchuus with 242 m/ 794 ft.

25. The unique landmark of a huge natural arch of the Rock Islands is a spectacular sight.

Natural Arch in Palau

26. Palau is the first country in the world that offers special experiences and rewards through an app that visitors use when visiting the country. The app called Ol'au Palau offers rewards to responsible travellers and all those who promote eco-tourism and save the pristine environment. The rewards are guided tours and local experiences and depend on how responsibly the tourists travel and how they treat the local environment and culture.

27. More than 52,000 tourists visited the country in 2024 and tourism has a huge impact on the fragile environment of the island nation. Most visitors come from China, Taiwan and the USA and Canada. Even though visitor numbers had massively declined after the pandemic, the project was well received by the local communities and travellers alike as damages due to overtourism were already showing on the environment. Previously Palau already had introduced the Palau Pledge.

28. Palau was the first country to have an anti-nuclear constitution in 1979. There is a clause in the constitution that bans harmful substances such as nuclear, chemical gas, or biological weapons intended for use in warfare or in nuclear power plants.

Facts about Palau | People

29. The indigenous people of Palau are called Palauans or Rechad er Belau. The traditional name of the country is Belau.

30. The archipelago of Palau has been inhabited for more than 6,000 years. Rockart and ancient burial sites on the island bear witness of the early settlements. There are 52 large basalt monoliths on Babeldaob that date back to 161 CE. Due to these ancient stones, some with still visible facial features similar to the Moai, Babeldaob is often nicknamed the "Easter Island of Micronesia".

Palau stone monoliths on Babeldaob from 161 AD/CE

31. Palau was occupied by many countries over the years, as such by the Spanish, Germans, Japanese and the USA.

32. The official national languages are Palauan and English. The people on the islands speak mainly Palauan but English is also widely understood.

However, there are five official languages on the Palauan islands as on Sonsoral island the official language is also Sonsoralese, while in Tobi also Tobian is an official language and in Angaur, both Angaur and Japanese are official languages.

Children in Palau - image by Novena Assen / Shutterstock.com

33. Most of the Palauans are Christians (77%), about 5% are Muslims and many also adhere to indigenous traditional beliefs.

34. In Palau's matriarchal society, women have many responsibilities. Women in the islands traditionally control the family finances, the land and also inherit titles. Palauan traditions are generally celebrated within the extended families.

35. A traditional gathering is Omengat, when a new mum and her firstborn child are bathed and celebrated. Ocheraol is another big community event, when the family celebrates building of a new family home.

36. While the women and 'queens' mainly meet at the residential homes of the family where they also appoint a community leader or chief, the men meet at the local 'bai', which is a meeting house.

These bai or assembly halls are decorated with traditional decorations and depict important chiefs and ancestors and show also often main cultural stories. Women need special permission to enter the men's meeting houses.

Traditional men's house or bai

37. Most people on the Palau islands work in the fishing and tourism industry. Fishing, tourism and government services are among the main income sources.

38. The most popular sports in Palau are basketball, baseball and volleyball. Traditional sports are coconut palm climbing and racing with outrigger boats.

Facts about Palau | Economy

39. The currency of Palau is the United States dollar.

40. Fishing and tourism are the main income source for most people.

Small fishing boats on Koror

Many Palauans live from subsistence farming which means they harvest and live on their own crops.

41. The main export products are mineral fuels, fish and seafood as well as boats, scrap vessels and scrap metal. Palau imports scrap vessels and dismantles them, then exports the scrap metal.

42. India, Turkey, Italy and China are the main trading partners of Palau.

Facts about Palau | Animals

43. Many reptiles such as the Palau salt water crocodile and several sea turtle species are endemic to the Palauan islands. The most common sea turtles are the hawksbill turtles and green turtles. These are the only two turtle species that nest on beaches in Palau.

44. Fruit bats can be seen flying during the day. The Palauan flycatcher is a unique local bird that sings in the rain and decorates its nest. Ngermeskang Bird Sanctuary is famous for its unique endemic birds.

Palauan Flycatcher

45. The marine life includes sharks such as the white-tip reef shark, manta rays and eels. There are also many species of fish such as the giant groupers, corals, algae and invertebrates.

46. Palau proclaimed the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009 which put an end to shark fishing in the ocean waters surrounding the islands.

Spotted leopard shark

Facts about Palau | Food

47. Typical food in Palau includes tropical fruits and vegetables such as coconut, figs and bananas on the islands. Cassava, yam and taro as well as coconut and coconut milk are used in many dishes.

48. The cuisine of Palau is varied and influences of the Asian, American, European, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines can easily be noticed.

49. Traditional Palauan dishes include the national dish called Demok and the following dishes:

Demok: traditional dish and national soup made with coconut milk and shredded green taro leaves and crab meat

Demok soup

Ukaeb: minced crab meat served with coconut milk in crab shells
Delebdeb: a refreshing drink made with the milk and meat of coconuts
Tinola: chicken soup made with onion, ginger and papaya (pawpaw)

Tinola soup

Pichi-pichi: dessert made with grated cassava and grated coconut, also popular in the Philippines
Tama tuu: soft and fluffy banana bread in snack or donut form
Delul Diokang: a smoked taro dessert served with coconut milk dip
Seboseb: sweet pudding made with fresh mango, tapioca starch, coconut milk and sugar

Did you know?
Facts about Palau

50. Palau became the first country to ban sunscreen that is known or suspected to be reef-toxic in 2020!

Only mineral sunscreens that exclusively list zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as their active ingredients are allowed. Sunscreens containing parabens, triclosan, trilocarban, or phenoxyethanol are strictly prohibited.

Facts about Palau | Resources

Sources for Facts about Palau page:

Ol'au Palau app. Register on olaupalau.com Last updated 12 September 2025
Central Intelligence Agency. "Palau." WorldFactBook. Last updated 10 September 2025. Last accessed 11 September 2025
Palau Government. "Who we are. Palau." Palaugov. Last accessed 11 September 2025
Visit Palau - Official Tourism Site. "Palau's 16 States." PristineParadisePalau. Last accessed 11 September 2025
Palau Soultrips. Jellyfish Lake. Palau.co. Last accessed 11 September 2025

Image Credits on Facts about Palau: photo stock from shutterstock and wikicommons, if not otherwise stated.

We hope you enjoyed reading our Palau Facts. Please bookmark this page and spread the word. We will add more information in the near future.

Popular Pages

Oceania Facts for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

Ocean Facts for Kids by Kids World Travel Guide

Back from Palau Facts to Kids-World-Travel-Guide

Share this page:

What’s this?

Facebook

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

Click on the HTML link code below.
Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.