Palau National Flag

Palau National Flag

The national flag of Palau is made up of a pale blue background, with a yellow disk placed slightly left of the centre of the flag. This yellow disk is a representation of the full moon, with this phase of the moon playing an important role in the people of Palau’s life. They believe that this time is the best time for fishing, planting, harvesting and other activities. It is also a symbol of peace and love. The light blue background is said to portray the Pacific Ocean which surrounds the islands of Palau. This flag was adopted as the national flag on the 1^st of January 1981, after Blau Skebong’s design was chosen out of more than a thousand proposals. This followed Palau’s separation from the United Nations and US administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Palau is an archipelago of around 340 islands located in the western region of the Pacific Ocean. The closest countries are that of Micronesia to the east and to the south Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Palau created the first ever shark sanctuary, with 600,000km² surrounding the islands, being a protected zone for sharks, with commercial shark fishing activities prohibited in this area. Not only are the waters surrounding Palau home to sharks but also saltwater crocodiles, who live in the lagoons and mangroves of the island. Despite this, Palau remains a popular destination for scuba divers and beachgoers. Surprisingly, only one fatal crocodile attack has ever been recorded in Palau. The country is 488km² in area and home to around 17,600 people. The official languages are Palauan and English, with Palauan being spoken by most of the population in their everyday lives. Palau is home to Jellyfish Lake, a marine lake which is home to millions of non-poisonous and stingless jellyfish, allowing for visitors to swim with the millions of jellyfish. The capital city of Palau is Ngerulmud.