Melekeok, << meh LAY kay ohk, >> is a state in Palau, an island nation in the western Pacific Ocean. Melekeok is home to the nation’s capital. The state lies on the east coast of Babelthuap, also spelled Babeldaob, Palau’s largest island. Babelthuap is the second largest island in the Pacific Islands region of Micronesia, after Guam.
The state of Melekeok has a population of about 400 and contains Lake Ngardok, Micronesia’s largest freshwater lake. The lake is part of a protected conservation area. The area is home to rare native species and serves as a breeding area for endangered crocodiles.
Melekeok became Palau’s capital in October 2006, when the government moved from the former capital of Koror, on Koror Island. Palauan symbols decorate Melekeok’s New Capitol Building and nearby buildings, which are designed in the Classical style of ancient Greece and Rome. Paved roads were introduced to Melekeok to serve the new capital.
