Palau is divided into sixteen administrative regions, called states. Palau has a high ratio of government offices to citizens, with 16 states and both a tribal chiefdom and elected legislature in each state, for 20,000 people.
The majority of the country's population lives in Koror State. Airai is the only other state with a population exceeding 1,000, and three states have populations of fewer than 100.
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The Southwest Islands of Palau are several small outlying islands spread across the Pacific Ocean about 600 km from the main island chain of Palau. They make up the Palauan states of Sonsorol and Hatohobei. The nearshore islands to the southwest of the main island of Palau (Babeldaob), which belong to the states of Koror, Peleliu and Angaur and the unincorporated Rock Islands, are not considered part of the Southwest Islands.
Melekeok (English: /ˈmɛləˌkeɪˌɔːk/) is a town in the State of Melekeok (one of Palau's sixteen states). It is located on the east coast of Palau's largest island, Babeldaob.
Tobi, or Hatohobei (Tobian), is the southernmost of Palau's sixteen states, consisting of Tobi Island and Helen Reef. The total land area is about 0.88 km². The population was 25 in 2015. Tobian, English, and Sonsorolese are the official languages of Hatohobei State.
Not only is it Palau’s least populous state, but it is the least populous first-level administrative subdivision in the world as well as being the 13th smallest first level administrative subdivision .