Blogs from Nauru, Oceania

There is nowhere like Nauru. It is a fascinating place but its recent history has been rather tumultuous. A very brief history - Nauru was inhabited by Micronesian and Polynesian people around 3000 years ago. Nauru was annexed by Germany in 1888 and phosphate was discovered in 1900. After WW1, Australia, New Zealand the UK became trustees of the island. Japanese forces occupied Nauru during WW2 and after the war, Australia, New Zealand and the UK continued their trusteeship of the country. Nauru became independent in 1968. In 1989, Nauru took Australia, NZ and the UK to the International Court of Justice over their actions during the trusteeship period. The main issue was the devastation to the environment from the phosphate mine. The compensation case was eventually settled out of court. Phosphate mining generated a huge ... read more

Ha! This travelblog doesn't even list Nauru as a country! So, where shall I start? I think, the first thing to know is that this is the smallest independent country in the world, covering just 21 square km and with just 10,000 inhabitants. On a single island rock. And it has a vote in the UN. It is also the only country in the world without an official capital (well, it is a single island, with only one town, which basically covers the whole island, so what's the point?) I spent a week there and discovered a very unique place. The history of Nauru does not make for very pleasant reading. I am no expert, so please bear with me while I give you a brief breakdown. I wouldn't normally do a historical overview(!) for a ... read more