Palau is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with no land borders. Instead, it shares maritime boundaries with three nearby countries. These neighbors—Federated States of Micronesia, the Philippines, and Indonesia—are located about 450 kilometers away and show how island nations have borders defined by sea rather than land.
Below is a list of the closest countries to Palau and their maritime relation.
Flag This column shows each country’s national flag, making it easy to identify them visually.
Distance (km) This indicates how far each country is from Palau in kilometers, measuring the shortest maritime distance across the ocean.
Direction This tells the compass direction where each neighboring country lies in relation to Palau.
countries that border palau
| Country | Flag | Distance (km) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 🇵🇭 | 450 | West-Northwest |
| Federated States of Micronesia | 🇫🇲 | 450 | East |
| Indonesia | 🇮🇩 | 450 | South |
Descriptions
Philippines
The Philippines is Palau’s closest maritime neighbor, located to its west-northwest across the Pacific Ocean. While they share no land border, their proximity highlights the concept of maritime boundaries for island nations like Palau, whose national territory is defined by its surrounding seas.
Federated States of Micronesia
To Palau’s east lies the Federated States of Micronesia, a close island neighbor with shared maritime borders. As an island nation, Palau does not have traditional land borders but rather its sovereignty is delimited by its Exclusive Economic Zone in the vast ocean.
Indonesia
Indonesia is a significant maritime neighbor located to the south of Palau. Although separated by open water, their respective Exclusive Economic Zones meet. This exemplifies how international borders for island states like Palau are defined entirely by their surrounding marine territories, not by shared landmasses.
