Koror
Koror State
Oreor Oreor; Ernguul | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of Koror State in Palau | |
| Coordinates:07°20′32″N134°28′38″E/ 7.34222°N 134.47722°E | |
| Country |  Palau |
| Capital | Koror City |
| Government | |
| • Body | Koror State Legislature |
| •Governor | Eyos Rudimch(Ind.) |
| •Speaker | Alan Marbou |
| •Vice-Speaker | Ann L. Pedro |
| •Floor Leader | Jason Nolan |
| Population (2015 Census) | |
| • Total | 11,444 |
| • Density | 176/km2(460/sq mi) |
| • Official languages | Palauan English |
| Area code | 488 |
| ISO 3166 code | PW-150 |
| Website | kororstategov |
Koror[1][2]is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic ofPalau.[3][4]It consists of several islands, the most prominent beingKoror Island(alsoOreor Island). It is Palau’s most populous state.
History[edit]
In the oral tradition of Palau, Koror is one of the children of Milad, and thus occupies an important position in traditional belief. In addition, Koror is the home of the clan of theIbedul,the high chief of Palau.[5]
Several traditional villages in Koror span the volcanic and rock island portions. Many of the stone platforms, odesongel, serve as clan cemeteries, and other stone features serve as shrines. The lagoon is an important resource area, and was probably intensively exploited prehistorically.[5]
The first sighting of Koror,Babeldaob,andPeleliurecorded by Westerners was by theSpanish expeditionofRuy López de Villalobosat the end of January, 1543. They were then charted asLos Arrecifes(The Reefs in Spanish).[6]In November and December 1710 these three islands were again visited and explored by aSpanish missionary expeditioncommanded bySargento MayorFrancisco Padilla on board thepatacheSantísima Trinidad.
Two years later they were explored in detail by the expedition of Spanish naval officer Bernardo de Egoy.[7]He was part of the Captaincy General of the Philippines, dependent on the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1919 it became the capital of theSouth Seas Mandate.LtColEarl Hancock Ellis,the first Director ofMarine Corps Intelligence,died on Koror in May 1923. On 7 October 2006,Ngerulmudreplaced Koror as Palau's capital city.
Geography[edit]
The state of Koror (population 11,444 as of 2015[update]) contains about 65% of the population of the country. The nation's formercapitaland largest town, also called Koror orKoror City,is located here. The town has a population of 11,200 and is located at07°20′32″N134°28′38″E/ 7.34222°N 134.47722°E.[8]
Besides Koror City and the town ofMeyuns,there are a total of 11 hamlets in the state of Koror:
- Dngeronger
- Idid
- Ikelau
- Iyebukel
- Medalaii
- Meketii
- Ngarkesoal
- Ngerbeched (Capital)
- Ngerchemai
- Ngerkebesang
- Ngermid
Koror State stretches across a large portion of the lagoon extending fromBabeldaobIsland on the north almost toBeliliouIsland to the south. Though widely spread, the actual land mass of Koror is not great and consists of hundreds of islands and islets including most of theRock Islandsof Palau. Koror encompasses perhaps the most varied range of geography in Micronesia with many different kinds of physical and social settings. In the northern part of the state are three volcanic islands: Koror,Ngerekebesang,andNgemelachel.[5]
Across Koror Island, the intensive land use in the last two centuries has radically altered the land's shape. Most vegetation has been cleared for house construction or put into gardens. Steep slopes have dense secondary growth brush. On Ngerekebesang Island, the land use has not been quite as intense and areas on the northwest coast contain stands of volcanic island forest. To the south, the Rock Islands offer a landscape that appears out of this world. The Rock Islands consist of uplifted coralline limestone reef with shear cliffs rising above a characteristic sea-level notch. Small beaches have formed in a few coves and provide access to the interiors. The ground is not covered by soil, but instead consists of dog-toothed sharp chunks of reef which have broken off of the crags and spires jutting skyward in an unpredictable maze. The islands are covered by a rock island forest and vines clinging to crevices in the limestone. In places, sinkholes contain marine lakes, and in other places the sinkholes contain wind-blown soil.[5]
Presently, most land in Koror is involved in urban development with gardens interspersed with houses and business. The Rock Islands offer valuable areas for exploiting the rich lagoon, and for the development of the tourist industry.[5]
Koror was formerly the capital of theSouth Seas Mandate,aLeague of Nations mandatedterritory administered by theEmpire of Japan.
Demography[edit]
In 2015, of the 17,661 people living in Palau, 65% or 11,444 lived in Koror State. The median age was 33.5 years.[9]The official languages of the state arePalauanandEnglish.[10]
Education[edit]
Schools in Koror operated by theMinistry of Educationinclude:
- Palau High School
- Koror Elementary School—it opened in 1945 afterWorld War II.The current building opened in 1969 asTyphoon Sallydestroyed the previous one.[11]
- 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.[12]
- Meyuns Elementary School inMeyuns—it was built circa 1969 and expanded in 1973. It was established sinceTyphoon Sallydestroyed Koror Elementary, where Meyuns students previously attended. TheTrust Territory of the Pacific Islandsadministration was previously uninterested in building a school in Melyuns.[13]
Economy[edit]
Belau Airhas its headquarters in Koror,[14]as did the short-lived Pacific Flier in 2010.[15]
Tourism[edit]
Much of Palau's economy comes from tourism. The Rock Islands of Palau are all located in the state.Scuba divingshops 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 traineddolphins.[16]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.[17]
By 2001, theKoror 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.[18]
The jail consists of three structures, and it is surrounded by an eight-foot wire mesh fence and an eight-foot concrete wall.
Political system[edit]
The state of Koror has an elected chief executive,governor.The state also has a legislature elected every four years.[19]The state population elects one of the members of theHouse of Delegates of Palau.
Transport[edit]
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 theKoror–Babeldaob Bridgeto the state ofAiraiin the island ofBabeldaob,wherePalau International Airportis located.
A main road extends through Koror along the central ridge, from the Koror-Babeldaob Bridge on the east to its western end in Medalaii. A network of secondary roads extends throughout the residential areas, and causeways connect Koror to Ngerekebesang and Ngemelachel Islands. Docking facilities are found on the northern coast in Meketii and on the southern coast in Medalaii. The major harbor facility for Palau is located on the east side of Ngemelachel Island. Malakal Harbor offers a sheltered, deep-water anchorage and has been in continual use since the 1840s. Most goods found in the many stores throughout Palau come through this port.[5]
Climate[edit]
Koror features atropical rainforest climateunder theKöppen climate classification.The town experiences an extraordinary amount ofrainfallannually,averagingaround 3,750 mm (148 in) ofprecipitationannually over 263.4 precipitation days. As with many areas with this climate type,temperaturesremain relatively constant throughout the course of theyear,averaging roughly 27 °C (81 °F). On 22 March 2018, Koror recorded a temperature of 35.0 °C (95.0 °F), which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Palau.[20]
| Climate data for Koror (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1951−present)[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 93 (34) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
94 (34) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
92 (33) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 88.3 (31.3) |
88.1 (31.2) |
88.8 (31.6) |
89.4 (31.9) |
89.2 (31.8) |
88.5 (31.4) |
87.6 (30.9) |
87.4 (30.8) |
87.8 (31.0) |
88.4 (31.3) |
89.2 (31.8) |
88.6 (31.4) |
88.4 (31.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 82.2 (27.9) |
81.9 (27.7) |
82.3 (27.9) |
83.0 (28.3) |
82.9 (28.3) |
82.3 (27.9) |
81.8 (27.7) |
81.9 (27.7) |
82.0 (27.8) |
82.6 (28.1) |
82.9 (28.3) |
82.5 (28.1) |
82.4 (28.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 76.0 (24.4) |
75.7 (24.3) |
75.9 (24.4) |
76.5 (24.7) |
76.7 (24.8) |
76.1 (24.5) |
76.0 (24.4) |
76.4 (24.7) |
76.3 (24.6) |
76.7 (24.8) |
76.5 (24.7) |
76.3 (24.6) |
76.3 (24.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 69 (21) |
71 (22) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
71 (22) |
71 (22) |
70 (21) |
70 (21) |
70 (21) |
71 (22) |
70 (21) |
71 (22) |
69 (21) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 11.19 (284) |
9.29 (236) |
8.06 (205) |
9.10 (231) |
12.28 (312) |
16.14 (410) |
16.53 (420) |
13.22 (336) |
13.56 (344) |
11.39 (289) |
11.16 (283) |
12.47 (317) |
144.39 (3,668) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 mm) | 22.4 | 19.8 | 19.0 | 19.5 | 22.9 | 25.3 | 23.8 | 21.1 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 23.2 | 24.9 | 263.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 84.3 | 83.7 | 83.8 | 83.3 | 85.4 | 86.2 | 85.3 | 84.9 | 83.7 | 84.8 | 85.1 | 85.0 | 84.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 199.8 | 194.5 | 244.0 | 234.2 | 212.3 | 168.9 | 186.9 | 176.8 | 197.2 | 179.5 | 183.3 | 183.1 | 2,360.5 |
| Percentpossible sunshine | 55 | 58 | 65 | 63 | 55 | 45 | 48 | 46 | 54 | 48 | 52 | 50 | 53 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[21][22][23] | |||||||||||||
Notable residents[edit]
- Abba Thulle
- Franco Gibbons
- John C. Gibbons
- Prince Lee Boo(1764-1784)
- Ruby Joy Gabriel,Olympic Track and Field athlete
- Yositaka Adachi
- Yutaka Gibbons
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^To access the data. Click on NOWdata, then choose "View Map" under location then choose "Show more stations", select Koror WSO and choose Daily/monthly normal and monthly summarized data for normals and extremes
References[edit]
- ^The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States.U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. 2008.
- ^Construction of the Palau Compact Road, Babeldaob Island, Republic of Palau: Environmental Impact Statement.1997.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-01.Retrieved2021-05-04.
- ^Department of State Publication: International organization and conference series.U.S. Government Printing Office. 1959.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-01.Retrieved2021-05-04.
- ^The Study for Promotion of Economic Development in the Republic of Palau: Sector report.Office of Planning and Statistics. 2000.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-01.Retrieved2021-05-04.
- ^abcdefSnyder, David.; Adams, William Hampton; Butler, Brian M. (1997).Archaeology and historic preservation in Palau.Anthropology research series / Division of Cultural Affairs, Republic of Palau 2. San Francisco: U.S. National Park Service.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-06-07.Retrieved2021-06-07.
- ^Burney, JamesA chronological history of the discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean,London, 1813, v.I, p.233.
- ^Coello, Francisco "Conflicto hispano-alemán"Boletín de Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid,t.XIX. 2º semestre 1885, Madrid, p.296.
- ^"Country Files (GNS)".National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-05-04.Retrieved2007-04-06.
- ^"2015 Census of Population, Housing and Agriculture for the Republic of Palau"(PDF).Palau Government.Office of Planning and Statistics.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2017-10-16.Retrieved2021-12-20.
- ^Leonard, Thomas M. (2006).Encyclopedia of the Developing World.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9780415976640.
- ^"Koror Elementary SchoolArchived2018-08-05 at theWayback Machine."Ministry of Education (Palau). Retrieved on February 22, 2018.
- ^"George B. Harris Elementary SchoolArchived2018-08-08 at theWayback Machine."Ministry of Education (Palau). Retrieved on February 22, 2018.
- ^"Meyuns Elementary SchoolArchived2018-08-09 at theWayback Machine."Ministry of Education (Palau). Retrieved on February 22, 2018.
- ^"About Belau AirArchived2016-03-03 at theWayback Machine".Belau Air. Retrieved on July 6, 2010.
- ^"Regional Offices".Pacific Flier.Retrieved on July 6, 2010.ArchivedMarch 4, 2011, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Dolphins Pacific".2008-08-22.Archivedfrom the original on 2008-12-11.Retrieved2008-11-26.
- ^"Palau General Information Provided by the Palau Environmental Quality Protection Board for the 21st Annual Pacific Islands Environment ConferenceArchived2017-05-02 at theWayback Machine."U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Retrieved on October 7, 2010.
- ^David Leonard and David Pickell (2001).Diving the Pacific: Volume 1: Micronesia and the Western Pacific Islands.Tuttle Publishing. p. 89.ISBN962-593-499-5.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-01.Retrieved2021-05-04.
- ^"State/National Election Schedule".Palau Election Commission.5 November 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 22 August 2016.Retrieved5 November2020.
- ^Masters, Jeff (18 April 2018)."March 2018: Earth's 5th Warmest March on Record".Wunderground.Archivedfrom the original on 30 April 2018.Retrieved29 April2018.
- ^"NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Archivedfrom the original on 8 June 2017.Retrieved10 March2015.
- ^"Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020".Archivedfrom the original on 23 May 2023.Retrieved23 May2023.
- ^"WMO climate normals for Koror/W Caroline Islands, PI 1961−1990".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2023.Retrieved10 March2015.
This article incorporatespublic domain materialfromSnyder, David; Adams, William Hampton; Butler, Brian M. (1997).Archaeology and historic preservation in Palau.Anthropology research series / Division of Cultural Affairs, Republic of Palau 2. San Francisco: U.S. National Park Service.
External links[edit]
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