most countries, the capital coincides with the most heavily-populated cities. However, that’s not always the case: look at Washington D.C. (20th most-populous U.S. city) or Brasília (3rd most-populous Brazilian city).
Like D.C. and Brasília, Ngerulmud was built from scratch. Its purpose was to house the government seat of Palau, a small island nation 900 km east of the Philippines, with a population of fewer than 18000 people.
With the country having only one major city — Koror — which holds the national stadium, museum, and around 60% of the country’s population, it would have made sense to also make it the capital.
However, in the 1979 ratification of the Palauan Constitution, to avoid an accumulation of power in one place — Koror — representatives agreed to set up the country’s government on another island — Badeldaob — the largest island in Palau.
And so, Ngerulmud was born. The construction of the massive complex of government buildings was first planned in 1986, but due to a shortage of funds and staff, progress was non-existent.
Where it gets weird
Construction only began for good after Palau was granted a 20 million USD loan from Taiwan in the early 2000s, with construction ending in 2006.
While trying to avoid accumulating too much power in one place, Palauans built their Congress, Supreme Court, and Government all in the same square. The Legislative Building (Congress) is positioned in the Central Wing, with the Executive Building (President and Cabinet) to the West and the Judicial Building (Supreme Court) to the East, all connected via a central open plaza.
The 45$ million complex was unveiled in October of 2006, with over 5,000 people in attendance. Government officials moved their offices from Koror to Ngerulmud soon after.
The buildings, modeled after the United States (US) capitol, were unsuited to Palau’s tropical climate, with high levels of humidity and high temperatures year-round. In 2013, a problem in the ventilation system caused a mold infestation that made workers sick, and the complex was shut down.
This didn’t help Ngerulmud add to its 271 residents, with the city keeping the dubious title of “least-populous capital-city” in the world, while remaining mostly abandoned.
Other facts
- In April of 2013, their post office was closed permanently as part of cost-cutting measures, less than two years after being established by a Congress resolution.
- Ngerulmud is the only settlement in Palau with its own ZIP code (96939). The rest of Palau uses 96940, both serviced by USPS (United States Postal Service), as part of the Compact of Free Association with the US.
- This pact guarantees the free and voluntary association of both governments, with the US providing defense, funding, and access to social services, like the postal service. In turn, the American military has access to the islands and their territorial waters (around the size of Texas), helping keep China’s naval ambitions at bay.
The congress is called Olbiil Era Kelulau or “House of Whispered Decisions.” When traditional chiefs gather in a meeting house, to decide on important issues, no communication can take place louder than a whisper. Rather than argue or shout, chiefs deliver messages and conduct negotiations through messengers, maintaining a quiet atmosphere.
TV producer, reader, writer, bibliophile, and map lover. Did I mention I also love history?
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