Kayangel (Ngcheangel) is the northernmost state of Palau north of Koror. The land area is about . The population is 54 (2015 census). There is one hamlet in the state - Orukei, which is also its capital. In 2020, Richard Ngiraked was elected governor of the state.
The state was colonized by Spain from the late 16th century until 1899, when the territory was sold to the German Empire. German control lasted until the First World War, after which Japan administered the atolls. Following the Second World War, the United States governed the area until Palau became independent.
In January 2005, the Palau National Congress passed a joint resolution supporting a 2002 agreement between Kayangel State and Palau Pacific Energy, Inc. (PPE). The agreement granted the PPE exclusive rights to explore, drill, and produce oil in the surrounding marine area for a defined period. The national government had initially opposed the project on environmental grounds but later reconsidered after a 2003 petition from Kayangel residents in favor of exploration.
In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan caused extensive damage to the island, flooding all of Kayangel and destroying every home. Although no fatalities occurred, all 69 residents were affected by the storm
In June 1972, the resident population was 290. More recently, the population of the state was 54 based on the 2015 census, and its median age was 37.5 years. The official languages of the state are Palauan and English. Rdechor is the title of the traditional high chief from the state.
Kayangel has its own constitution which was adopted in 1983. The state government was established in 1984. The state elects its own Governor, who acts as the chief executive of the government. Kayangel also has a legislature elected every four years. The state population elects one member in the House of Delegates of Palau.
The state consists of three atolls in different states of development:
Kayangel Atoll (Ngcheangel), the only inhabited atoll of Kayangel State, with most (99 percent) of the land area of Kayangel State, is located at , about north of Babelthuap island, the main island of Palau, but only north of Babelthuap's barrier reef. The atoll is about north-south, and wide, with a total area of , including the lagoon. The lagoon has an average depth of and a maximum depth of , and about 25 large pinnacles can be detected from aerial photographs. The bottom of the lagoon is largely sand. On the western side of the atoll, there is a small passage for boats into the lagoon, with a depth of only , called Ulach. Coral diversity and abundance are low in the lagoon. Large fish, dolphins and foraging sea turtles are common near the pass.
There are four densely wooded islets on the eastern and southern rim of the oval-shaped atoll, from north to south, are Kayangel, Ngeriungs, Ngerebelas and Orak.
Kayangel Islet (also called Ngcheangel or Ngajangel), is the largest and only inhabited islet of Kayangel Atoll and Kayangel State. It is long northâÂÂsouth, with a width between in the south and in the north. The land area is about . There are five villages primarily oriented to the western shore (lagoon side). They stretch over from north to south and are not clearly separated from each other. The villages are very small by any standard, given the aggregate population of only 138. Together, they make up the state capital, Kayangel (Ngcheangel). From north to south:
The only power on the island comes from solar panels or personal generators. There is one small school that goes from K-9th grades and a small library. The only shopping to be done on the island is from a small general store, otherwise it is what the islanders catch in the ocean or grow in the ground. There are several ways to get to the island. One is the island's speedboat that takes about two hours, but it is generally in for repairs. The more reliable modes are from either a local fisherman or a dive company that makes regular trips up to the island to dive off the reefs surrounding the island.
Ngeriungs Islet, about south of Kayangel Islet, is long northâÂÂsouth, and has a width between in the south and in the north, which amounts to a land area of . There is a small campsite. The islet has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a large population of Micronesian megapodes.
Ngerebelas Islet, close to the southern tip of Kayangel atoll, about southwest of the southwestern tip of Ngeriungs Islet, has a size of east-west by north-south, with a land area of .
Orak Islet, at the southern tip of Kayangel atoll, about southwest of the southwestern end of Ngerebelas Islet, is long southwestâÂÂnortheast, and wide. With an area of , it is the smallest of the four islets of Kayangel Atoll.
Ngaruangel (Ngaruangl) Reef, located at , is an incipient atoll, northwest of Kayangel atoll, and separated from it by Ngaruangl Passage, a very deep ( at from each atoll) and wide passage. The atoll is long northâÂÂsouth, and from wide in the north to in the south, and about on the average. The total area including the lagoon is . The lagoon is shallow, with an average depth of , has about 115 pinnacle and patch reefs, and a boat passage through the northeastern part of the barrier reef. The lagoon floor is covered with thick sand deposits and thickets of staghorn Acropora. The reef is protected by Ngaruangel Reserve.
There is one small, barren and uninhabited islet, Ngaruangel Island, in the center of the eastern rim of the atoll, at its easternmost point. Ngaruangel Island is long northâÂÂsouth, and from wide in the south to in the north. There is a sand spit attached to the island, pointing southwest into the lagoon, long and wide. The total area of the island is .
The islet consists almost entirely of pieces of rough coral rock thrown up by surf. Most of the pieces are rough or sharp and are largely of the Acropora reticulata type, or of similar form. Sand and sandy gravel are limited to the lagoon side and the southern tip. The altitude is a little less than one meter above high tide. There is no vegetation on the islet. Animal life is represented by numerous marine crane flies. Terns are abundant.
Velasco Reef, located at is a sunken atoll north of Ngaruangl Reef, rising steeply from the surrounding seafloor, deep. It is not clearly separated from Ngaruangl Reef and appears as its large but submerged northern extension on satellite images. It extends more than to the north, and is up to wide, giving it an oval shape, covering an area of about . Much of the reef is uncharted. The central depression (lagoon) is deep, while depths along the rim (outer edges) range from (generally ), on which there are overfalls when the tidal currents are strong. Heavy wave exposure limits coral diversity and cover on Velasco Reef.
The Ministry of Education operates public schools.
JFK Kayangel Elementary School was built in 1965; initially students took classes in a . It relieved the schools in Babeldaob as Kayangel students previously attended those schools. Ngaraard Elementary School in Ngaraard formerly served Kayangel.
Palau High School in Koror is the country's only public high school, so children from this community go there.