License plate (Palau)

Flag of the Aimeliik state with a cultural center, crocodile and pineapple

The license plate of Palau do not follow a uniform system. They are issued by many institutions in the Micronesian state. The list of vehicle registration plates includes license plates that were seen on the road in Palau in 2019 and 2020.

overview

Division of the Republic of Palau into 16 states that issue license plates

The island republic of Palau with a population of around 21,000 people consists of 16 states of different sizes . Less than 500 people live in 14 of them. Each of the 16 states has its own license plate design, which may also have changed over the years. The vehicles of the central government of Palau and of state governments as well as state and international organizations operating there have their own license plates. In 2013 around 7,100 vehicles were registered in Palau.

Collection of older license plates in the Etpison Museum , Koror , Palau

The Etpison Museum in Koror shows a collection of Palauian license plates from 14 of the 16 states. The two southwestern states, located on groups of atolls several hundred kilometers away, are not represented. The license plate "Republic of Palau 1" is a donation from Ibedul Gibbons , the supreme chief. There is also a sign of the pre-republican Trust Territory (TT, United Nations Trust Territory, until independence in 1994).

layout

The license plates, mostly stamped in rustproof aluminum sheet , have the US format of 152 by 300 millimeters (6 × 12 inches). Some institutions have plastic labels. The expiry of the validity can be recognized by stickers for the month and year, which are attached to the lower corners of the sign. Vehicles in official use also have older, sometimes scratched stickers. Sometimes they are completely absent.

The signs are attached to the rear of the vehicle. Official signs on the front are not common. The space provided for this remains vacant or is decorated with license plates from other countries, but also with signs of religious or commercial content. Because rare hallmarks of small countries find a collector's audience internationally, fantasy products with alleged use in Palau are also offered online.

Most of the country's license plates are structured in the same way. The central element is a number with up to five digits, sometimes with a leading zero or one. Some numbers are preceded by letters. They refer to the state name. The headline usually contains the name of the state, a footer “Republic of Palau”, its abbreviation “ROP” or a slogan. License plates for private and government vehicles may differ.

On some state plates, the seal of the issuing state is shown to the left of the digits. Some marks have representations or images of natural history or cultural significance. Recurring is that of a Bai , in Palau the traditional meeting house for men with a characteristic pointed roof.

List of license plates

The list follows a widespread geographical breakdown from north to south: one state north of the main island Babeldaob , then Babeldaob with its ten states, then three island states south of it and two more, located around 350 and 600 kilometers southwest. The national flags are used to explain some motifs and color combinations until a compilation of the seals is published.

License plate	Country	Description and explanations	flag	Residents 2015
north of Babeldaob
	Kayangel	Green lettering on white, the state seal to the left of the number		54
on Babeldaob
	Ngarchelong	On white, dark blue writing, to the left of the number the state seal		316
	Ngaraard	Red writing on white, the state seal to the left of the number		413
	Ngardmau	On orange red writing, on government vehicles, the state seal on the left of the number, on the right a color image of the Taki waterfall . For private vehicles, the picture of the waterfall is to the left of the number.		185
	Ngiwal	On brown and white writing, to the left of the number the national coat of arms All numbers begin with K79 for Kiuluul and seven eat nine soup , the allegedly daily “seven meals and nine soups” of the residents who are proud of their legendary joy in eating. In traditional lore, Ngiwal arose from the stomach of the always hungry mythical figure Uab. In the footer, as an indication of origin, Chad ra Kiuluul ("People of Kiuluul") after an older name of Ngiwal.		282
	Ngeremlengui	On blue and white writing, the digits gold		350
	Melekeok	Blue writing on white, the national flag to the left of the number		277
	Ngatpang	On white green writing, the number between two delicacies, on the left a green sprouted brown coconut ( Cocos nucifera ), locally called "dubech", on the right a cooked, therefore red mangrove crab. The dominant mangrove crabs ( Scylla spp.) In Ngatpang are vividly dark in color.		282
	Ngchesar	On green in the roof line six white stars for the six places of the state, on a white field the black number, in the footer a curly ribbon with the name of the state, "ROP" for Republic of Palau and above in brown the front view of a bais on stones		291
	Aimeliik	Private vehicles: On white and black writing, the number begins with “AS” for Aimeliik State. Right an oblique view of a bay, on the green forecourt a saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) and a pineapple plant ( Ananas comosus , Palau “Ongolngebard”). Government vehicles: on light green, dark green lettering, on the left the state seal, in the middle the stepped abbreviation “ASGV” for Aimeliik State Government , on the right the number		334
	Airai	On blue gold writing, to the left of the number a six-fingered Chiragra spider snail ( Harpago chiragra ); Variants of the number plate show the bumpy back / top side or the mouth / bottom side as in the label collection of the Etpison Museum . In the footer Home of Medechii Belau ; Medechii is a deity who once lured the rabbitfish ( rabbitfish, Siganus spp.) To Airai.		2,455
south of Babeldaob
	Koror	Two series: First series: blue writing on white and image of the twin Bais Kebtot el Bai Second, younger series: black writing on white, number begins with "2K", both with the footer text Bountiful Isles (roughly "Generous Islands")		11,444
	Peleliu	On the turquoise gold header “State of Peleliu”, blue number in the middle and white footer “Odesangel Pride” ( pride of Odesangel ); Odesangel (from Palauisch omsangel "bank, money box ") is a nickname Pelelius, where, according to tradition, the incoming and outgoing money from Palau was deposited, expressed by the golden eggs of a white dove.		484
	Angaur	On a blue header in white Angaur State , on white in blue the number starting with “A” for Angaur, on a blue footer in white Republic of Palau .		119
in the Southwest Islands
	Sonsorol	Only a few vehicles are used in the state, which consists of four islands with a total of three square kilometers and is located about 350 kilometers southwest of the main island.		40
	Hatohobei	Only a few vehicles are used on the island state with a total of three square kilometers, which is about 600 kilometers southwest of the main island.		25th
further registration numbers (selection)	institution	Description and explanations
	Government of Palau	On orange in white "Government" in the roof line, the number between the front view of a Bai and the wrong-colored country flag, in the footer "Republic of Palau"	Flag of Palau
	Judicial administration	On silver or the untreated aluminum sheet in light blue "Judiciary" in the roof line, the number between a scale and a false-colored country flag, in the footer "Republic of Palau"
	License plate for diplomats	On light blue in yellow “Diplomat”, underneath the country key of the representation; A 069stands for the Republic of China (Taiwan)
	Belau National Museum	On white in black in the roof line “Belau National Museum”, in the subline the proverb “A Cherechar a Lokelii”, German for example The essence of the past becomes the future . In the middle “BNM” as the abbreviation for the institution and the number, which starts with “55” for all vehicles in the museum. In the footer "Republic of Palau". In the background in gray the symbol of the museum, the front view of a bay with a palm tree. The edge of the license plate is ornamented all around. Material: Plastic
	Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC)	The abbreviation of the institution and the number on white in black, on the right the PCIRC logo, underneath in yellow in white the long form of the name. Material: Plastic
	UNDP	On white, the abbreviation “LGSP” stands for “Local Governance Strengthening Project”, a project to strengthen political institutions; The UNDP logo at the top left, the state seal at the bottom. Material: Plastic

Older license plates

With the proclamation of the Republic of Palau in 1981 ended the issue of TT flag of the US-managed "Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands", the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands . In 1984 the 16 states emerged from previous traditional parishes. This also started issuing own license plates, which have been repeatedly changed since then. The Etpison Museum has an Airai number plate in Japanese numeric typography, which was approved in 1983.

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  Airai, an issue in older Japanese numeric typography, 1984

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  Palau: the twin bay of the then capital Koror; Footer “Charm of Micronesia”; around 1990

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  Sign of the remote state of Sonsorol with a dugout canoe and four stars; 2001

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  Ngechesar: petrel ( Procellariidae ) and state seal; 2002

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  Ngardmau: the addition "Highest and Tallest" means Mount Ngerchelchuus , the highest mountain in Palau; 2008

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  License plate of the remote state of Hatohobei, government vehicle; 2010

Individual evidence

1. ^ WHO Global Health Observatory, Palau road safety, factsheet 2015, online
2. ^ Palau Visitors Authority, History of Palau, online
3. ↑ Meked Besebes, Lynda D. Tellames: Preserving Traditional Place Names in Palau, in: Samuel Lee (Ed.): Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom: Themes from the Pacific Islands , Unesco Ichcap, Joenju 2014, p. 31, ISBN 979-11 -954294-2-4 , online . - Santi Asanuma: Cheldecheduch El Chelid (Godly Talk) , In: A Le Ko Kau Forum , June 7, 2010, online
4. ↑ BCET: Ngaraard State General information online
5. ↑ Katherine C. Ewel et al. a .: Characteristics of Scylla spp. (Decapoda: Portunidae) and Their Mangrove Forest Habitat in Ngaremeduu Bay, Republic of Palau , in: Pacific Science, Volume 63 (2009), p. 21, doi : 10.2984 / 1534-6188 (2009) 63 [15: COSSDP] 2.0 .CO; 2
6. ^ Robert Evans: Palau: a Cultural Geography. Bloomington, Indiana 2016, ISBN 978-1-5320-01666 , online, p. 327
7. ^ Institute of Museum and Library Services: Pacific Digital Library , online . - Forum Fisheries Agency and Division of Marine Resources, Republic of Palau: Marine Resources Profiles: Republic of Palau. FFA Report # 95/12, 2005, p. 129 ff., Online
8. ^ Nicholas J. Goetzfridt, Karen M. Peacock: Micronesian Histories. An Analytical Bibliography and Guide to Interpretations. Westport, CT 2002, p. XXVI, online

Web links

Commons : Palau License Plate  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files