Palau (Listeni/pəˈlaʊ/, sometimes spelled Belau or Pelew), officially the Republic of Palau (Palauan: Beluu er a Belau),is an island country located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is geographically part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The country's population of around 21,000 is spread across 250 islands forming the western chain of the Caroline Islands.
Education in the Micronesian island nation of Palau still follows the American system of Grades K to 12. It is mandatory until either the age of 16 is reached, or graduation from high school is achieved. There are approximately 20 elementary state schools dispersed through villages and islands, where pupils study for 6 years.
Palau is divided into sixteen administrative regions, called states (the still separately listed Rock Islands did originally not belong to any state, but now belong to the state of Koror).