Koror

The first sighting of Koror, Babeldaob, and Peleliu recorded by Westerners was by the Spanish expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos at the end of January, 1543. They were then charted as Los Arrecifes (The Reefs in Spanish).[2] In November and December 1710 these three islands were again visited and explored by a Spanish missionary expedition commanded by Sargento Mayor Francisco Padilla on board the patache Santísima Trinidad. Two years later they were explored in detail by the expedition of Spanish naval officer Bernardo de Egoy.[3] In 1919 it became the capital of the South Seas Mandate.

The island of Koror is connected by bridges to three neighbouring islands:

• Ngerekebesang Island, the site of Palau's second-largest town, Meyuns, in the eastern part of the island, with a population of 1,200.
• Malakal Island, the site of Koror's port.
• Koror Island is also connected by the Koror–Babeldaob Bridge to the state of Airai in the island of Babeldaob, where Palau International Airport is located.

Besides the capital Ngerbeched and the town of Meyuns, there are a total of 11 hamlets in the state of Koror:

• Ngermid
• Ngarkesoal
• Ngerchemai
• Iyebukel
• Idid
• Meketii
• Dngeronger
• Ikelau
• Medalaii
• Ngerbeched (Capital)
• Ngerkebesang

Koror was formerly the capital of the South Seas Mandate, a League of Nations mandated territory administered by the Empire of Japan.

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 trained dolphins.[4] 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.[5]

By 2001, the Koror 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.[6]

The jail consists of three structures, and it is surrounded by an eight-foot wire mesh fence and an eight-foot concrete wall.

Koror features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification. The town experiences an extraordinary amount of rainfall annually, averaging around 3,750 millimetres (148 in) of precipitation annually. As with many areas with this climate type, temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the course of the year, averaging roughly 27 °C (81 °F).

In 2015, of the 17,661 people living in Palau, 65% or 11,444 lived in Koror.[5]

Belau Air has its headquarters in Koror,[10] as did the short-lived Pacific Flier in 2010.[11]

Palau High School

Schools in Koror operated by the Ministry of Education include:

• Palau High School
• Koror Elementary School - It opened in 1945 after World War II. The current building opened in 1969 as Typhoon Sally destroyed the previous one.[12]
• George B. Harris Elementary School in eastern Koror - Named after a member of the Land Registration Team of Palau, it was built in 1964 to relieve Koror Elementary.[13]
• Meyuns Elementary School in Meyuns - It was built circa 1969 and expanded in 1973. It was established since Typhoon Sally destroyed Koror Elementary, where Meyuns students previously attended. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administration was previously uninterested in building a school in Melyuns.[14]

• Prince Lee Boo (1764-1784)

• Sacred Heart Church, Koror

• Koror State Government
• Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Palau to the UK &NI

Media related to Koror at Wikimedia Commons
Koror travel guide from Wikivoyage