Introduction Nauru
Background:
The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language
does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed
by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined
early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was
occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became
a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a
brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It
achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the
world's smallest independent republic.
Geography Nauru
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall
Islands
Geographic coordinates:
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
30 km