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Melekeok, Palau

Palau, Belau

image by Ian MacDonald, 10 November 2011
based on http://pacificdigitallibrary.org

Description of the Flag
Alternate version

Description of the Flag

Based on a personal web site at http://www.users.quest.net/~rae.4332/flags.html (no longer available), developed by an inhabitant of Palau, which shows the flags of all the 16 states of Palau. The flag has 6 red rays fimbriated white on a blue background, with at the centre a white disk with a blue bird. According the census Melekeok has an area of 28 sq. km, a population of 261 inhabitants, and the capital is Melekeok.
André Pires Godinho, 30 March 2003

Palau changed capital from Koror to Melekeok on October 1, 2006.
Sources:
Pacific Islands Report, US Department of State, Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Pacific Magazine.
Christian Berghänel, 8 October 2006

According to http://pacificdigitallibrary.org, the flag of Melekeok is divided in six red rays and six blue rays separated by a white fimbriation. In the middle of the flag is placed a white disk charged with a blue bird with yellow feet, holding a "chelebucheb" in its beak. The proportions of the flags are prescribed as 3:5.

Red represents the sun. Blue represents the ocean. White represents peace and serenity. The six red rays represent the six traditional hamlets forming Melekeok, that is Ngeburch, Ngeruliang, Ngermelech, Ukaeb, Ngerang and Ngerubesang. They indicate that Melekeok is facing the east where the sun rises and, also, that Melekeok was the head of the Eastern Confederacy of Palau. The Palauan bird stands for economic well-being. The "chelebucheb" recalls that Melekeok had in the past a traditional government.

A "chelebucheb", aka Palau money, is a black spherical bead used mainly in transactions between chiefs as they establish political alliances, pay off insults, or purchase head trophies. (R.W. Preucel, "Archaeological Semiotics", 2006).
Ivan Sache, 30 October 2011

Alternate Version

by Jaume Ollé

The Flag Bulletin describes the flag as having 6 red rays fimbriated white on a blue background. Other sources describe the flag as displayed here, all blue.
Jaume Ollé, 21 January 1997