Palau (Palaus: Belau) is an island nation in the western Pacific Ocean, with 18,000 inhabitants and an area the size of a few Dutch municipalities. See Palau population density. The capital is Ngerulmud.

The Koror-Babeldaob Bridge, the largest bridge in the country and completed in 2002.

According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER, Palau consists of a number of small islands and the main island Palau which is approximately 45 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide. Palau is 900 kilometers east of the Philippines and 900 kilometers north of Indonesia. To the east is Micronesia, to the north is Japan. The capital is Ngerulmud, formerly Koror. Koror is still the largest town, with 14,000 inhabitants, approximately 70% of the population of the entire country. Ngerulmud is mainly the location of the parliament and not a real place. The main island is hilly, the highest point is the 242 meter high Mount Ngerchelchauus.

Palau belonged to Germany between 1899 and 1914 and was conquered by Japan at the beginning of World War I. In 1944 the islands were conquered by the Allies. It then came under the administration of the United States and finally gained independence in 1994. The country is a democracy and relatively developed with a nominal GDP of $17,400 per capita. Tourism and fishing are Palau’s main economic sectors.

Road Network

Most of the roads are on the main island of Palau, but only 36 kilometers are paved. Two north-south routes cross this island, which has few other places of interest outside the main town of Koror. There are no highways in Palau, the main road is Koror’s main street, which is single carriageway. On the island of Peleliu there is a somewhat longer road. There are no or only a few unpaved roads on the other islands. Traffic drives on the right in Palau and the speed limit is 40 km/h. There are no ferry services between the islands. The islands around Koror are connected by bridges.

Road numbering

There is no road numbering in Palau.

Signage

The signage on Palau is based on the American model.