"Belau rekid" is the national anthem of Palau. Officially adopted in 1981, the music was composed by Ymesei O. Ezekiel, to which the combined words of several authors were set.
Palau has a bicameral legislature, the Palau National Congress, consisting of the House of Delegates and the Senate of Palau, which both sit at the capitol complex in Ngerulmud, Melekeok State. The House of Delegates has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 13 members, also serving four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies. In the last elections, held in 2020, only non-partisans were elected; no political parties exist.
On a national level, the citizens of Palau elect a president, who serves a four-year term, and acts as head of state. A national bicameral legislature, is also elected, consisting of the Palau National Congress and the Senate of Palau. The National Congress has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 9 members, also serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies.
Lazarus Eitaro Salii was a politician from Palau. He served as the second elected President of Palau from 25 October 1985 until his death by suicide on 20 August 1988, amid bribery allegations.
The Senate of Palau is the upper house of the Palau National Congress. The Senate has 13 members serving four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies. Since Januaru 2025, the Senate has 15 members. No political parties exist. The most recent election was held in November 2024.
The House of Delegates of Palau is the lower house of the Palau National Congress, Palau's bicameral legislature. The Senate of Palau is the upper house. The House of Delegates has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. Each state represents one constituency. No political parties exist. The last election was held on 5 November 2024.
General elections were held in Palau on 4 November 2008 to elect the President and members of the National Congress. The presidential election was won by Johnson Toribiong. Incumbent President Tommy Remengesau was ineligible to run because he had served the maximum two consecutive terms allowed and announced that he would run for a seat in the Senate.
Roman Tmetuchl was a Palauan political leader and businessman. He grew up in Japanese-controlled Palau and joined the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police, during World War II. After the war, he became the leader of Palau's Liberal Party. He worked in the Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1964 to 1978 and advocated for Palau gaining a separate status from the rest of Micronesia. He became governor of Airai and engaged in three unsuccessful Palauan presidential campaigns. As a businessman, Tmetuchl led several construction projects for his business holdings and for the Palauan community, including the Palau International Airport and a Seventh-Day Adventist clinic.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Palau:
Joshua Koshiba is a former member of the Senate of Palau. After his re-election in 2004, he became the longest-serving member of that body in the history of Palau. Koshiba was elected seven consecutive terms as Senator from 1980 to 2008.
Johnny Reklai was a Palauan businessman and politician. He was elected as the President of the Senate of Palau in April 2005. He died in a boating accident, at the time of his death he was serving as the President of the Senate of Palau. He was succeeded in that office by Surangel S. Whipps, and his seat was filled by Hokkons Baules.
Ngerulmud is the seat of government of the Republic of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It replaced Koror City as a capital in 2006. The settlement is located in the state of Melekeok on Babeldaob, the country's largest island, located 20 kilometers northeast of Koror City and 2 km northwest of Melekeok City. It is the least-populous capital city of a sovereign nation in the world.
Peter Lawrence Naoya Sugiyama was a Palauan politician.
A six-part referendum was held in Palau on 2 November 2004 alongside the country's general elections. Voters were asked questions on summoning a Constitutional Convention, payment of members of the National Congress, creating a unicameral Congress, term limits for Congress members, election of the President and Vice President and dual citizenship. All proposals were approved except the unicameral Congress, which despite receiving a majority of the public vote, did not meet the quorum of 12 of 16 states required for amendments to the constitution.
A twenty-three-part referendum was held in Palau on 4 November 2008 alongside the country's general elections. Voters were asked questions on requirements of citizenship to hold office, government provision of primary school and health care, the definition of marriage and term limits for Parliament. Only the proposal permitting naturalization for certain adoptees failed to obtain the requisite majority of the vote and majority in 3/4th of the states.
Raynold B. Oilouch is a Palauan politician. He has served as the Vice President of Palau from 19 January 2017 to 21 January 2021, and again since 16 January 2025. Oilouch was elected vice president in the 2016 elections. He was also the Minister of Justice.
J. Uduch Sengebau Senior is a Palauan lawyer, judge, and politician who has served as the Vice President of Palau from 2021 to 2025. She was previously a member of the Senate of Palau from 2013 until she took office as Vice President.
Sabino Anastacio is a Palauan politician who has been speaker of the House of Delegates of Palau since January 2013.
Seit Andres is a Palauan politician and President of the Senate of Palau from September 1999 to December 2004.
Mason N. Whipps is a Palauan politician. Whipps was elected to the Senate of Palau in the 2020 Palauan general election.
Palauan