Koror


	*Koror*

Koror is the provisional capital of Palau, located in the Caroline Island group of the Western Pacific Ocean approximately 550 miles east of the Phillippine Islands and 1300 miles north of Australia.

“A spectacular 400-mile long strand of pearls laid across the Pacific” is a phrase used to describe the Palau Islands. Only eight of the islands, however, are inhabited, and of the entire Palauan population of approximately 15,000, the majority live in Koror.

Today’s Palauans are distant relatives of the Malays of Indonesia, the Melanesians of New Guinea, and the Polynesians. In 1946 Palau became one of the TRUST TERRITORIES OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS, and in 1994 gained its independence. The same year Palau was admitted to the United Nations as the 185th member.

Delegations from Koror are understandably unable to attend local activities on a regular basis due to the considerable distance they must travel, the most recent group arriving to participate in the Gilroy Garlic Festival 2005.

Koror became a Sister City of Gilroy on February 22, 1994.