Koror City (English: /ˈkɔːˌrɔːr/, KAW-rawr;[1]) is the largest city and the commercial center in Palau, home to about half of the country's population, located on Koror Island (also Oreor Island). During the interwar period it served as the capital of the South Seas Mandate, a group of islands that made up the League of Nations mandated territory held by the Empire of Japan. It was subsequently the capital of Palau until it was replaced by Ngerulmud in 2006.[2]
Koror City | |
|---|---|
| City of Koror | |
     Top: Koror coastline; Middle: Koror State Government Building, Belau National Museum; WCTC Shopping Center, Eptison Museum | |
 Location within Koror | |
  Koror City Location in Palau | |
| Coordinates: 7°20.5167′N 134°28.75′E / 7.3419450°N 134.47917°E | |
| Country |  Palau |
| State |  Koror
|
| Founded | 1866 |
| Population (1993) | |
• Total | 7,000 |
| Time zone | UTC 9 (Palau Standard Time) |
| Area code | ( 680) 488 |
History
editKoror was the administrative center of the Japanese South Sea Mandate, and thousands of Japanese lived in the city.[3]
- Images of Koror during the Japanese period
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Parts of the city were destroyed by American aerial bombardment during World War II, and after the United States occupied the city they burnt or tore down the remainder of the city, leaving only a few buildings for the occupation forces.[4][5]
In 1976, a copra-processing plant was opened in Koror.
Today Koror remains a commercial center for its importance of tourism as the city's economy.
Geography
editIn 1993, Koror was home to more than 7,000 people, but in the recent past the number was at times even greater as large numbers of people from other areas would stay in Koror to conduct business. The town is composed of ten hamlets where traditional roots are strong. Koror sprawls across the western end of Oreor Island along a low ridge. This is the volcanic island half of Oreor; the rock island half is, like most of the rock islands, uninhabited.[6] Koror is a part of the Koror Metropolitan Area.
Climate
editKoror has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af)[7] with hot, humid weather conditions throughout the year.
| Climate data for Palau | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.6 (87.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.9 (87.6) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.4 (88.5) |
31.0 (87.8) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.7 (87.3) |
30.9 (87.6) |
31.1 (88.0) |
31.4 (88.5) |
31.1 (88.0) |
31.0 (87.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.9 (82.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.7 (81.9) |
27.7 (81.9) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.7 (81.9) |
27.6 (81.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.9 (75.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.2 (75.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 271.8 (10.70) |
231.6 (9.12) |
208.3 (8.20) |
220.2 (8.67) |
304.5 (11.99) |
438.7 (17.27) |
458.2 (18.04) |
379.7 (14.95) |
301.2 (11.86) |
352.3 (13.87) |
287.5 (11.32) |
304.3 (11.98) |
3,758.3 (147.97) |
| Average rainy days | 19.0 | 15.9 | 16.7 | 14.8 | 20.0 | 21.9 | 21.0 | 19.8 | 16.8 | 20.1 | 18.7 | 19.9 | 224.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 198.4 | 194.9 | 244.9 | 234.0 | 210.8 | 168.0 | 186.0 | 176.7 | 198.0 | 179.8 | 183.0 | 182.9 | 2,357.4 |
| Source: Hong Kong Observatory[8] | |||||||||||||
Economy
editKoror is the main tourist destination in Palau and has many resorts, nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels. The government is also a large employer in the city. Tuna export and copra production are two other economic activities of the city.[1]
Places of interest
editTwin towns and sister cities
editKoror City is twinned with:
Angeles City, Philippines[9]- Davao City, Philippines[10]
Gilroy, United States[11]
Manado, Indonesia[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b Koror, World Book Advanced, World Book, Chicago
- ^ Hollywood, Mike (2006-01-12). Papa Mikeýs Palau Islands Handbook. iUniverse. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-595-82000-9.
- ^ Pacific Islands (Trust Territory). (1953). The Koror community centre: reports. Technical paper (South Pacific Commission) ;no. 46. Noumea, New Caledonia: South Pacific Commission. p. 1.
- ^ Dunnahoo, Terry (1988). "Palau". U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States. New York: F. Watts. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-0-531-10605-1. OCLC 1151687005.
- ^ Ehrlich, Paul R. (1984). Koror: a center of power, commerce and colonial administration. Saipan, C.M.: Micronesian Archaeological Survey, Office of the High Commissioner, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. p. 61.
- ^ Snyder, 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.
- ^ "Koror, Palau Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
- ^ "Climatological Information for Palau Islands, Pacific Islands, United States". Hong Kong Observatory. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
- ^ "Angeles, Davao mayors ink sisterhood pact". sunstar.com.ph. SunStar Philippines. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ "City eyes sisterhood pact with town in Bulacan". mindanews.com. Mindanao Times. 2020-02-13. Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ "Koror". gilroysistercities.org. Gilroy Sister Cities Association. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
This article incorporates public domain material from Snyder, 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.