Koror State Oreor Oreor; Ernguul | |
|---|---|
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 Location of Koror State in Palau | |
| Coordinates:07°20′32″N134°28′38″E / 7.34222°N 134.47722°E /7.34222; 134.47722 | |
| Country |  Palau |
| Capital | Koror City |
| Government | |
| • Body | Koror State Legislature |
| • Governor | Eyos Rudimch (Ind.) |
| • Speaker | Alan Marbou |
| • Vice-Speaker | Ann L. Pedro |
| • Floor Leader | Jason Nolan |
| Population (2020 Census) | |
• Total | 11,199[1] |
| • Density | 176/km2 (460/sq mi) |
| • Official languages | Palauan English |
| Postal code | 96940 |
| Area code | 488 |
| ISO 3166 code | PW-150 |
| Website | kororstategov |
Koror[2][3] is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic ofPalau.[4][5] It consists of several islands, the most prominent beingKoror Island (alsoOreor Island). It is Palau's most populous state; more people live in Koror than in the rest of Palau.
In the oral tradition of Palau, Koror is one of the children of Milad, and thus occupies an important position in traditional belief. In addition, Koror is the home of the clan of theIbedul, the high chief of Palau.[6]
Several traditional villages in Koror span the volcanic and rock island portions. Many of the stone platforms , odesongel, serve as clan cemeteries, and other stone features serve as shrines. The lagoon is an important resource area, and was probably intensively exploited prehistorically.[6]
The first sighting of Koror,Babeldaob, andPeleliu recorded by Westerners was by theSpanish expedition ofRuy López de Villalobos at the end of January, 1543. They were then charted asLos Arrecifes (The Reefs in Spanish).[7] In November and December 1710 these three islands were again visited and explored by aSpanish missionary expedition commanded bySargento Mayor Francisco Padilla on board thepatacheSantísima Trinidad.
Two years later they were explored in detail by the expedition of Spanish naval officer Bernardo de Egoy.[8] He was part of the Captaincy General of the Philippines, dependent on the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1919 it became the capital of theSouth Seas Mandate. LtColEarl Hancock Ellis, the first Director ofMarine Corps Intelligence, died on Koror in May 1923. On 7 October 2006,Ngerulmud replaced Koror as Palau's capital city.
U.S. military will upgrade Palau's Malakal harbor for American warships and a Chinese-owned hotel overlooking the Harbor could be used for surveillance.[9]
The state of Koror (population 11,444 as of 2015[update]) contains about 65% of the population of the country. The nation's formercapital and largest town, also called Koror orKoror City, is located here. The town has a population of 11,200 and is located at07°20′32″N134°28′38″E / 7.34222°N 134.47722°E /7.34222; 134.47722.[10]
Besides Koror City and the city ofMeyuns, there are a total of 11 hamlets in the state of Koror:
Koror State stretches across a large portion of the lagoon extending fromBabeldaob Island on the north almost toBeliliou Island to the south. Though widely spread, the actual land mass of Koror is not great and consists of hundreds of islands and islets including most of theRock Islands of Palau. Koror encompasses perhaps the most varied range of geography in Micronesia with many different kinds of physical and social settings. In the northern part of the state are three volcanic islands: Koror,Ngerekebesang, andNgemelachel.[6]
Across Koror Island, the intensive land use in the last two centuries has radically altered the land's shape. Most vegetation has been cleared for house construction or put into gardens. Steep slopes have dense secondary growth brush. On Ngerekebesang Island, the land use has not been quite as intense and areas on the northwest coast contain stands of volcanic island forest. To the south, the Rock Islands offer a landscape that appears out of this world. The Rock Islands consist of uplifted coralline limestone reef with shear cliffs rising above a characteristic sea-level notch. Small beaches have formed in a few coves and provide access to the interiors. The ground is not covered by soil, but instead consists of dog-toothed sharp chunks of reef which have broken off of the crags and spires jutting skyward in an unpredictable maze. The islands are covered by a rock island forest and vines clinging to crevices in the limestone. In places, sinkholes contain marine lakes, and in other places the sinkholes contain wind-blown soil.[6]
Presently, most land in Koror is involved in urban development with gardens interspersed with houses and business. The Rock Islands offer valuable areas for exploiting the rich lagoon, and for the development of the tourist industry.[6]
Koror was formerly the capital of theSouth Seas Mandate, aLeague of Nations mandated territory administered by theEmpire of Japan.
In 2015, of the 17,661 people living in Palau, 65% or 11,444 lived in Koror State. The median age was 33.5 years.[11] The official languages of the state arePalauan andEnglish.[12]
In June 1972, the resident population was 6,032.[13]
Schools in Koror operated by theMinistry of Education include:
Belau Air has its headquarters in Koror,[17] as did the short-lived Pacific Flier in 2010.[18]
Much of Palau's economy comes from tourism. The Rock Islands of Palau are all located in the state.Scuba diving shops and facilities are located all over Koror. Accommodation like hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, and resorts are all available.Dolphins Pacific, the world's largest dolphin research facility, is open for tourists who are interested in swimming and interacting with traineddolphins.[19] Most tourists to Palau stay in Koror, which is the centre for Palau's resort services and house modern conveniences. Koror has businesses that cater to speakers of many languages.[20]
By 2001, theKoror Jail, Palau's only correctional facility, has become a tourist destination thanks to inmates who create and sell elaborate wooden storyboards at a retail facility located on the jail's grounds.[21]
The jail consists of three structures, and it is surrounded by an eight-foot wire mesh fence and an eight-foot concrete wall.
Koror has its own constitution, adopted in 1983.[22] The state government was established in 1983. The state of Koror has an elected chief executive,governor. The state also has a legislature elected every four years.[23] The state population elects one of the members of theHouse of Delegates of Palau.
The island of Koror is connected by bridges to three neighbouring islands:
A main road extends through Koror along the central ridge, from the Koror-Babeldaob Bridge on the east to its western end in Medalaii. A network of secondary roads extends throughout the residential areas, and causeways connect Koror to Ngerekebesang and Ngemelachel Islands. Docking facilities are found on the northern coast in Meketii and on the southern coast in Medalaii. The major harbor facility for Palau is located on the east side of Ngemelachel Island. Malakal Harbor offers a sheltered, deep-water anchorage and has been in continual use since the 1840s. Most goods found in the many stores throughout Palau come through this port.[6]
Koror features atropical rainforest climate under theKöppen climate classification. The town experiences an extraordinary amount ofrainfall annually,averaging around 3,750 mm (148 in) ofprecipitation annually over 263.4 precipitation days. As with many areas with this climate type,temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the course of theyear, averaging roughly 27 °C (81 °F). On 22 March 2018, Koror recorded a temperature of 35.0 °C (95.0 °F), which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Palau.[24]
| Climate data for Koror (1981−2010 normals, extremes 1951−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 93 (34) | 93 (34) | 95 (35) | 94 (34) | 94 (34) | 95 (35) | 93 (34) | 94 (34) | 92 (33) | 93 (34) | 93 (34) | 94 (34) | 95 (35) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 86.5 (30.3) | 86.4 (30.2) | 87.1 (30.6) | 87.8 (31.0) | 87.7 (30.9) | 86.8 (30.4) | 86.1 (30.1) | 86.0 (30.0) | 86.5 (30.3) | 87.0 (30.6) | 87.8 (31.0) | 87.2 (30.7) | 86.9 (30.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 76.3 (24.6) | 76.1 (24.5) | 76.3 (24.6) | 76.9 (24.9) | 77.0 (25.0) | 76.4 (24.7) | 76.4 (24.7) | 77.0 (25.0) | 77.0 (25.0) | 77.1 (25.1) | 77.0 (25.0) | 76.7 (24.8) | 76.7 (24.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 69 (21) | 71 (22) | 69 (21) | 69 (21) | 71 (22) | 71 (22) | 70 (21) | 70 (21) | 70 (21) | 71 (22) | 70 (21) | 71 (22) | 69 (21) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 11.09 (282) | 9.54 (242) | 8.27 (210) | 8.19 (208) | 12.52 (318) | 18.01 (457) | 18.12 (460) | 13.92 (354) | 12.09 (307) | 12.06 (306) | 11.90 (302) | 11.93 (303) | 147.64 (3,750) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.25 mm) | 23.2 | 19.6 | 20.0 | 18.7 | 23.3 | 25.1 | 24.1 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 21.6 | 22.9 | 24.6 | 263.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 84.3 | 83.7 | 83.8 | 83.3 | 85.4 | 86.2 | 85.3 | 84.9 | 83.7 | 84.8 | 85.1 | 85.0 | 84.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 199.8 | 194.5 | 244.0 | 234.2 | 212.3 | 168.9 | 186.9 | 176.8 | 197.2 | 179.5 | 183.3 | 183.1 | 2,360.5 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 55 | 58 | 65 | 63 | 55 | 45 | 48 | 46 | 54 | 48 | 52 | 50 | 53 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[25][26][27] | |||||||||||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromSnyder, David; Adams, William Hampton; Butler, Brian M. (1997).Archaeology and historic preservation in Palau. Anthropology research series / Division of Cultural Affairs, Republic of Palau 2. San Francisco: U.S. National Park Service.
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