Palau's Rock Islands
Palau Profile • Maps • Photo Gallery
Photo: Aerial view of Rock Islands, Palau
WALLPAPER
Photograph by Stephen Alvarez
The picturesque nation of Palau forms an island chain southeast of the Philippines roughly 125 miles (200 kilometers) long. A trust territory of the United States from 1947 until 1994, this Micronesian archipelago is made up of eight large islands and some 250 islets.
Palau Features
Photo: Aerial view of Palau's Rock Islands
Photo Gallery: Palau
Rising from the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean, the many islands and islets of Palau are home to pristine coral reefs, dense jungles, and ancient caves.
Photo: Small human skull
Video: Ancient Little People Found?
Watch what could be a major discovery as scientists uncover tiny human bones in a cave on a remote island in Palau.
Photo: Lee Berger at excavation site
News Gallery: Palau Discovery
Learn about Paleoanthropologist Lee Berger's National Geographic Society-funded expedition to Palau in 2006 to collect bones of small-bodied humans from Ucheliungs Cave.


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Photo: Girl drinking bottled water
Interactive Map
Explore the signs of and solutions to the world's water crisis.
Photo: People hiking at sunset
Sweepstakes
Walk Into America and win a photography workshop for two!
National Geographic Expeditions
Photo: Greek ruins
Travel with some of the most prominent specialists in the world.