Nauru

What is Nauru?

Nauru is the world’s smallest independent republic and island nation. Located in Oceania, just south of the Marshall Islands, and north of Australia, Nauru is closely tied with its neighbor, Australia, which assists Nauru in several ways. The Republic of Nauru was formerly called Pleasant Island.

What form of government is used in Nauru?

Nauru is a republic with a parliamentary system.

How big is Nauru?

Nauru is a tiny island of 21 square kilometers and 30 kilometers of coastline.

What is the population of Nauru?

Nauru’s current population is around 9,000. Prior to 2006, the population had been much greater, but the island has suffered from high unemployment rates in recent years, which led to repatriation of most of the immigrant workers.

What ethnic groups are present in Nauru?

The native Nauruan people make up about 58% of the population, while other Pacific Islanders make up about a 26%. The rest of the population consists of Chinese and Europeans, mainly of British descent, though many have returned to Britain in recent years.

Nauruans likely originated in Polynesia and Micronesia.

What religions are practiced in Nauru?

Christianity is the most widespread religion in Nauru. The Nauru Congregationalists, a Protestant Church, is the largest denomination, followed by Roman Catholicism, and the Nauru Independent Church.

The indigenous religion of Nauru worshiped a female deity named Eijebong, along with an island of spirits, but this religion died out with westernization (and Christianization) of the island.

What languages are spoken in Nauru?

The official language of Nauru is called Nauruan, which is a distinct Micronesian language. English is used for governmental and commercial purposes, as Nauruan is not spoken outside the island.

What is the capital of Nauru?

Nauru has no official capital, but its government offices are in the Yaren district of the island.

What type of administrative divisions does Nauru have?

Nauru is divided into 14 districts:

• Aiwo
• Anabar
• Anetan
• Anibare
• Baiti
• Boe
• Buada
• Denigomodu
• Ewa
• Ijuw
• Meneng
• Nibok
• Uaboe
• Yaren

Who are the political leaders of Nauru?

Nauru’s political leader is President Marcus Stephen.

What are the main features of Nauru’s economy?

Nauru’s main export and economic pull has been phosphates since they were discovered on the island in 1900. Phosphate mining originally gave Nauru one of the highest standards of living the the world, but misuse of funds has hurt Nauru’s economy as they begin to feel the effects of the damage from strip mining. Nauru did invest some of the money earned from phosphate mining into trusts and land purchases in other countries. Nauru’s supplies of phosphate, which is mined from the droppings of seabirds (guano), are nearly depleted. Now that phosphates are mostly gone, Nauru has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, at about 90%. Many of the immigrants who moved to Nauru have since left due to lack of jobs.

Nauru has limited natural resources, like tropical fruits, wood, and fish. Today, Nauru is dependent on foreign assistance, and its financial responsibility falls on Australia.

What currency is used in Nauru?

Nauru uses the Australian dollar (AUD) as its official form of currency.

When was Nauru colonized?

The island of Nauru was first visited by British fishermen and traders in 1798, who named it Pleasant Island. The island’s first inhabitants were there about 3,000 years ago, and came from Micronesia or Polynesia. As trade ships passed the island, some traders began to live on the island. They often traded with the natives, supplying them with modern firearms.

The twelve tribes of Nauru went to war from 1878 to 1888, killing about one-third of the population. The war became known as the Nauruan Tribal War, and was devastating to the Nauruan people. The war ended when Germany arrived to annex the island, which became a protectorate. Germany ruled Nauru for about 30 years.

Phosphate was discovered on the island in 1900, and its exploitation began in 1906. Australian troops took over Nauru during World War I, and the Nauru Island Agreement in 1919 gave mining rights to Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. A 1923 League of Nations mandate made Nauru into a trusteeship, which was administered by Australia, with the help of New Zealand and the United Kingdom who were co-trustees.

Japan occupied Nauru during World War II, which had devastating results for Nauruans, whose food supplies were cut off for some time. In 1947, the United Nations stepped in and made Nauru a UN trust territory, which fell under the administration of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom once again.

When did Nauru achieve independence?

Nauru became self-governing in 1966, and gained independence on January 31, 1968. It joined the United Nations as the smallest independent republic in 1999. Though Nauru is recognized as independent, it still depends on Australia for financial assistance and security.

What is the national holiday of Nauru?

Nauru celebrates its independence from the United Nations trusteeship on January 31 (1968). Nauru also celebrates Angam Day, which commemorates the Nauruan population surpassing its goal of 1,500 people, which is the minimum suggested for a race to survive. Angam means “jubilation” or “triumph,” and the holiday is celebrated October 26, the day the first Angam Baby was born, and the population reached its goal of 1,500.

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