Ngerulmud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ngerulmud
Capital
Capitol of Palau
Location within Melekeok State
Ngerulmud Location in Palau
Country	Palau
State	Melekeok
Area
• Land	0.45 km2 (0.17 sq mi)
Population  (2024)
• Total	0 Melekeok State: 318 (2,020 census)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Palau Standard Time)
ZIP code	96939
Area code	(+680) 654

Ngerulmud is the capital city of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It became the capital in 2006, taking over from Koror City. This small settlement is located in the state of Melekeok.

Ngerulmud is on Babeldaob, which is the largest island in Palau. It is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Koror City. It is also about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of Melekeok City. Ngerulmud is known for being the capital city with the fewest people in the entire world.

What Does Ngerulmud Mean?

The name Ngerulmud comes from the Palauan language. It means "place of fermented angelfish." This name refers to a hill that looks out over the ocean. This hill is a very important part of the area.

The last part of the name, mud, is the Palauan word for the Centropyge tibicen. This fish is also known as the keyhole angelfish. Long ago, it was a tradition for women to gather on this hill. They would offer fermented angelfish to their gods.

History of Palau's Capital

Why Did Palau Need a New Capital?

Before Ngerulmud, the capital of Palau was temporarily in Koror. Palau's constitution, which is like its rulebook, was approved in 1979. This constitution said that the Palau National Congress (Palau's main government body) needed to build a permanent capital city. This new capital had to be built on Babeldaob island within ten years.

Planning for the new capital began in 1986. A company from Hawaii, Architects Hawaii Ltd. (AHL), was chosen to design the government buildings. This company had also designed the capital buildings for the Federated States of Micronesia. Building the new capital was a slow process. Palau did not have many engineers or architects. Most of the building materials had to be brought in from other places.

Building the New Government Center

Work on the capital complex started again in the early 2000s. Palau received a loan of $20 million from Taiwan. This loan helped improve the relationship between Palau and Taiwan. It also helped Taiwan get diplomatic recognition from Palau.

The new government complex cost more than $45 million. It has separate buildings for different parts of the government.

• The Olbiil era Kelulau (Palau's law-making group)
• The judicial branch (which handles laws and courts)
• The executive branch (which carries out the laws)

These buildings are all connected by a large open area in the middle. The capital complex officially opened on October 7, 2006. Over 5,000 people came to the opening event. Government offices moved from Koror to Ngerulmud soon after.

Challenges and Recent Events

In 2013, a newspaper called The Wall Street Journal reported some issues. The capitol building was not well-suited for Palau's climate. This caused problems, like a mold problem in the ventilation system.

In April 2013, the post office in Ngerulmud closed down for good. This was part of a plan to save money. The post office had only been open for 16 months. It cost over $30,000 to run, but it only made less than $2,000 from things like selling stamps. Ngerulmud is the only place in Palau with its own ZIP code (96939). Most of Palau uses 96940. This is because the United States Postal Service helps Palau with mail services.

Ngerulmud has also hosted important meetings. In July 2014, it hosted the official opening of the 45th Pacific Islands Forum. However, most of the forum's events were held in Koror. In February 2016, Ngerulmud hosted the 16th Micronesian Presidents' Summit. The presidents of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia attended this meeting.

Geography and Climate

Ngerulmud is located on the island of Babeldaob. It is part of the Melekeok state.

Ngerulmud's Weather

The climate in Ngerulmud is generally warm and humid. Here is a look at the average temperatures and rainfall:

Population of Ngerulmud

There are no people known to live directly within the boundaries of Ngerulmud itself. The population numbers are not recorded separately for the capital.

However, Ngerulmud is located in the state of Melekeok. According to the 2020 national census, the entire state of Melekeok had a population of 318 people. This makes Ngerulmud one of the least-populated capital cities or seats of government in the world.

See also

In Spanish: Ngerulmud para niños