Airai

Airai, located on the southern coast of Babeldaob island, is the second-most populous state of Palau, and the most populous on Babeldaob. It contains the country's chief airport, Roman Tmetuchl International Airport, and is connected by the Koror–Babeldaob Bridge to nearby Koror Island. == Geography == The state has an area of 44 km2 (17 mi2), and a total population of 2,455 Census, the second largest in the country.

Airai, located in the southeast corner of Babeldaob, includes a large area in the interior, a thick fringe of mangroves, and several limestone rock islands extending out of the mangroves into the lagoon. At the southeast corner is the large and shallow Airai Bay. The interior and southeast part of the state is drained by the Ngerikiil River, with its tributaries including the Kmekumer and Chedeng. This drainage is one of the largest in Palau. The Ngerimel River, which supplies water for Airai and Koror from a reservoir, occupies a small drainage on the west side of Rois Tungd in the south central part of the state. The drainages along the east and west coast are generally short and steep. A line of low hills parallels the coast. Inland from these hills are rolling hills which rise to the Rael Kedam, the central ridge system on Babeldaob. The Rael Kedam begins at Ngetkib village and extends north through Rois Tungd and Rois Ngesibang to the boundary with Aimeliik. From here, the Rael Kedam extends north through Rois Ngetechum to the corner of Aimeliik, Ngatpang and Airai, and then extends on to Rois Ormuul and the boundary with Ngchesar. From here, the northern boundary of Airai extends southeast across Rois Beng to the east coast. The inland hills are predominantly covered by forest, while much of the coastal ridge is covered by savanna and short, scrubby vegetation.