The Republic of Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, covering just 21 square kilometres. Nauru is just one island located north of the Solomon Islands and just south of the equator. The population of Nauru is 14,200.

The Nauruans originated from a mixture of people from Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. During the early 1800's, Nauru was a base for American whalers. In the late 1800's it came under German administration. In 1914 it was surrendered to Australia and eventually became independent in 1968.

The country's predominant economic development has been based on phosphate exports, which for a time gave Nauru one of the highest living standards in the world. The currency of Nauru is the Australian dollar.

Phosphate mining has virtually destroyed the tiny nation's ecology, turning its tropical vegetation into a barren, rocky wasteland.

The population of Nauru is concentrated in the coastal belt and around Buada Lagoon. While some fruit and vegetables are grown around Nauru's coastal fringes and near the lagoon, agriculture is limited because of a lack of usable land and the reliance of people on imported foodstuffs.

RELIGION

The main religion practiced on the island is Christianity (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic). There is also a sizeable Bahá'í population (10%) --- the largest proportion of any country in the world --- and a Buddhist population (3%).

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

While the rich phosphate deposit was mined, Nauru earned a substantial income - easing the poverty of its residents. But times are desperate. Alcoholism is rampant, as is domestic violence and theft. There is no social security system to act as a safety net.

Nauruans are among the most obese people in the world. 90% of adults have a higher BMI than the world average. Nauru has the world's highest level of type 2 diabetes, with more than 40% of the population affected. Other significant dietary-related problems on Nauru include kidney disease and heart disease.

There are no personal taxes in Nauru. The unemployment rate is estimated to be 90%, and the government employs 95% of those Nauruans who do work.

Phosphate mining is still the main economic resource despite the cost of extracting the last remaining deposits (the life expectancy of the industry is estimated at five or ten years). Nauru is still on the OECD blacklist of money-laundering countries.

go back to top