ABOUT NAURU:

Nauru, the smallest nation on Earth, is a land rich in natural resources and history. It is a raised coral island surrounded by a reef and some of the deepest oceans in the world and covers an area of only eight square miles.

The Nauruans are of mixed Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian origin. Because of the long distances between Nauru and other islands, there was little contact with other Pacific islanders. The Nauruan language was also different to other Micronesian languages and a unique dialect was developed.

Nauru was discovered in 1798 by the English captain Fearn and named Pleasant Island because of the luxurious coastal vegetation and cooling trade winds. Its long distance from other main Pacific islands meant Nauru was left relatively undisturbed by colonial powers. But when beachcombers and European traders began selling the natives guns, internal wars began. In 1888, Nauru was annexed by Germany before being occupied by Australia during WWI, then by the Japanese during WWII.

Nauru life under Japanese occupation was brutal and many experienced starvation and other human rights abuses. For this reason an important day for Nauru is Angam Day on 26 October. The word Angam literally means homecoming and commemorates the day when Nauruan exiles returned home after three years of Japanese captivity outside their homeland. It also marks the end of Japans occupation of Nauru in 1945.

When it eventually became independent in 1968, Nauru's people inherited a lucrative phosphate mining industry. High quality phosphate rock was discovered on the island in 1899 and commercial mining began in 1907. The phosphate was exported to Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan, primarily for use in the manufacture of fertilizer.

While the mining has reaped great financial rewards for Nauruans, a century of phosphate mining has stripped four-fifths of the land area, and has left the central plateau infertile and unpopulated. Today the mines are virtually depleted and 80 percent of the island is uninhabitable. Because of this, the Nauruan government has been investing abroad and attempting to develop service industries to ensure the country's economic future.

In 1998, the population was 11,200. Most people live on the lush coastal flat, a strip of land up to 300 metres wide that borders the steep hills and weathered limestone cliffs. Coconuts, pandanus, breadfruit and rubber trees are plentiful and the flats are dotted with indigenous tomano trees. There is not much rain and there are no rivers making the island unsuitable for agriculture. Nothing can grow in the middle of the island because it is almost pure phosphate. The ocean currents also make it difficult to land on the island.

Apart from this, Nauru has other pressing environmental concerns. As a low-lying island, its existence is being threatened by a rise in sea levels and global warming. Over-mining of the island has also impacted on rain levels and bird-life that is fast dwindling.

The Nauru government is working to counter this by developing rehabilitation projects to make the land more arable and rejuvenate the island's wildlife. This project is expected to take another two decades to achieve results.