Palau: Flag and Facts
Palau's flag shows a big yellow disk, shifted slightly toward the left, on a light blue background.
- Official name
- Republic of Palau
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Region
- Micronesia
- Population
- 21,947 (2025)
- Languages
- English, Palauan
- Currency
- United States dollar
- Area
- 459 km² (177 sq mi)
- People
- Palauan
- Calling code
- +680
- Highest point
- Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m
- Independence
- 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)
- National symbols
- bai (native meeting house)
- Borders
- No land borders
About Palau
The sea is shown in blue, and the yellow disk is the full moon, which Palauans see as a sign of peace, love, and calm. Blue and yellow are also the national colors, and the bai, a traditional meeting house, is the national symbol.
Settlers from Southeast Asia reached the islands around 1000 B.C. and built a society traced through mothers, where women of high rank chose the chiefs. Spain held loose control before selling Palau to Germany in 1899. Japan took over in 1914, and by the start of the Second World War, Japanese residents of Koror outnumbered Palauans four to one. The 1944 US invasion of Peleliu became one of the bloodiest island battles of the Pacific War. Palau adopted a constitution in 1981 that declared it nuclear-free and became independent on 1 October 1994. It stays in free association with the US.
Did you know?
- Ngerulmud, the capital, had just 277 residents in 2018.
- Mount Ngerchelchuus, the highest point, is 242 meters tall.
- Palau's anthem is "Belau rekid," meaning Our Palau.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Palau
What currency does Palau use?
Palau uses the US dollar.
What languages are spoken in Palau?
English and Palauan.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.