How it works Try a lens The library Explore Get started FAQ Download on the App Store →

COUNTRIES

Palau: map, flag, capital and key facts

Palau is a country in Oceania, with about 18,000 people (2025) and an area of 460 square kilometres. Its capital is Ngerulmud, and it has no land borders.

By Team Geography Last reviewed

Flag of Palau
Flag of Palau
Map showing where the country sits among its neighbours
Palau in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.

Key facts about Palau

CapitalNgerulmud
ContinentOceania
Population17,663 2025, World Bank. 192nd of 195.
Area460 km² (178 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 180th largest of 195.
Population density38 people per km²
Land neighboursNone. It has no land borders with another country.
Official nameRepublic of Palau
UN statusMember state
Capital coordinates7.49° N, 134.63° E Ngerulmud, Natural Earth.

No land borders

Palau shares no land border with another country. Its nearest neighbours are across the sea, as the map above shows.

From the Geography app

The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Palau's 6, in full.

PLACELens 1 of 6

A coral archipelago at the western edge of Micronesia

Palau is an archipelago of over 340 islands in the western Pacific, roughly 800 kilometers east of the Philippines. Total land area is only 459 square kilometers, but the islands are surrounded by some of the most biodiverse marine environments on the planet. The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains over 400 mushroom-shaped limestone islets and more than 385 coral species.

More on Rock Islands Southern Lagoon

This UNESCO site covers 100,200 hectares of marine and terrestrial landscapes, including marine lakes, coral reefs, and limestone karst formations. It supports the highest concentration of marine lake ecosystems in the world, including Jellyfish Lake, home to millions of golden jellyfish.

5 more lenses on Palau in the app

  • STORY The first country to constitutionally ban nuclear weapons
  • NOW A marine sanctuary larger than most countries
  • STORY A matrilineal society where women hold the land
  • THREAD Strategically located between Guam and the Philippines
  • NOW The Pacific is split over the seafloor

Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.

Compare Palau with another country

Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.

Common questions

What is the capital of Palau?
The capital of Palau is Ngerulmud. Ngerulmud lies at about 7.5 degrees north and 134.6 degrees east. Palau is in Oceania. It is home to about 18,000 people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Palau?
About 18,000 people live in Palau, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 192nd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 460 square kilometres, that is about 38 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Palau?
None. Palau has no land borders with any other country. It is surrounded by sea, so every neighbour of Palau is across the water. It lies in Oceania. Its area is 460 square kilometres, and about 18,000 people live there.
How big is Palau?
Palau covers 460 square kilometres, or about 178 square miles. That makes it the 180th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 18,000 gives a density of 38 people per square kilometre.

Keep exploring