You may have heard of Nauru as being an idealistic tropical island with sandy beaches, clear blue waters, and plenty of coconuts, but what else do you know about this famously tiny slice of paradise? Let’s take a look at 12 fun facts about Nauru!
1. What a nice place indeed!
Nauru wasn’t always known by its current name. In fact, the island being as wonderful as it is, it used to be called Pleasant Island!
2. A microscopic nation!
Nauru is a very small country. To see it on a map, you’ll have to zoom in quite a lot on the Central Pacific area! In total, Nauru is only 20.98 km squared!
3. The smallest holiday destination in the world.
Nauru is, in fact, the smallest island nation in the entire world! In fact, it’s about the same size as Westminster in the UK!
4. Who are Nauru’s inhabitants?
Even such a small island has citizens, and Nauru has over 10,000 people living nationwide. This makes Nauru the UN member with the lowest population density! Nauru’s inhabitants are known collectively as Nauruans.
5. What’s the capital of Nauru?
Believe it or not, Nauru does actually have a capital city! Rather, the capital is the Yaren District. The area is only about 0.6 miles wide and has a small population of about 1,000 people.
6. Could you check the weather, darling?
Nauru enjoys beautiful weather thanks to its tropical climate. However, from November to February, it’s best to always have an umbrella on you! That’s monsoon season for this tiny island.
7. Come on and let the rain pour!
Given that Nauru only has one big freshwater lake, known as Buada Lagoon, the residents here have to rely on other water sources to keep them going. They often use rainwater, although they are also known for partaking in the desalination of the seawater surrounding the island, too.
8. Nauru was once part of Australia.
Nauru used to be an Australian colony. This little island only became its own independent country back in 1968 and has remained independent since that day!
9. What is the currency of Nauru?
Although Nauru is now an independent state, it still doesn’t have its own currency. Instead, the locals still happily use Australian dollars for money.
10. Go nuts for the coconuts!
Given the sheer size of the island, you might assume that Nauru doesn’t have much to offer commercially. However, Nauru is home to a fantastic commercial coconut crop!
11. Gotta make that dough, you know?
Nauru doesn’t just rely on its coconuts as its main industry. This small island is also used for phosphate mining. Even more commonly, Nauru is used for offshore banking.
12. A sea of islands!
Although Nauru may seem like a solitary place, it is actually surrounded by other island nations. Alongside Nauru, you will find the Marshall Islands, Banaba Island, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea!
FAQs about Nauru
What is Nauru famous for?
Nowadays, Nauru is primarily known for being the smallest island nation in the entire world. It is also known for its phosphate mining and beautiful coast. However, Nauru has also been the subject of much debate due to its rich history and serious negotiations with Australia back in the 60s.
Who owns Nauru?
Following the Second World War, Nauru was put under a trusteeship set by the United Nations. Australia, Britain, and New Zealand were all a part of the trusteeship, but Australia was the main country in control of Nauru. It was only in 1966 that Nauru regained its independence, shortly after refusing Australia’s offer to relocate the people of the island to make them Australian citizens.
What language is spoken on Nauru?
Given that Nauru was an Australian colony for so long, one of its official languages remains English to this day. The other official language of Nauru is Nauruan.
Further reading:
https://www.youngpioneertours.com/so-what-is-it-like-to-visit-nauru/
https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/nauru
Do you know any fun facts about Nauru? Share them in the comments below!