Ngerulmud is listed as the least-populous capital city of a sovereign nation in the world.
Ngerulmud is Palau's seat of government, located in Melekeok State on Babeldaob, the country's largest island. Unlike a conventional capital with a large resident population, it is primarily a purpose-built government complex and has no permanent fixed population recorded separately.
Palau's 1979 Constitution called for a permanent capital on Babeldaob, replacing the provisional capital at Koror. Planning began in 1986, and the Capitol complex was officially opened on 7 October 2006 after construction supported by a $20 million loan from Taiwan. Government offices moved from Koror soon afterward.
A common mix-up is to answer Melekeok, which is the state containing Ngerulmud, or Koror, the former capital and still Palau's main commercial center. Ngerulmud's name is associated with a Palauan phrase referring to fermented angelfish.