Overview
Nauru, officially the Republic of Naoero and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate located in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies within the Micronesia subregion of Oceania, with its nearest neighbour being Banaba (part of Kiribati) approximately 300 kilometres to the east.
With an area of only 21 square kilometres, Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world and the smallest member state of the Commonwealth of Nations by both area and population. Its population of approximately 12,000 makes it the world's third-smallest by population, not including colonies or overseas territories. Nauru is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
Early History and European Contact
Nauru was first settled by Micronesians at least 3,000 years ago, with evidence suggesting possible Polynesian influence. The island traditionally had twelve clans or tribes, represented in the twelve-pointed star on the country's flag. Traditionally, Nauruans traced their descent matrilineally and practiced aquaculture, raising juvenile milkfish in Buada Lagoon alongside cultivating coconuts and pandanus fruit.
In 1798, British sea captain John Fearn became the first Westerner to report sighting Nauru, calling it "Pleasant Island" due to its attractive appearance. From at least 1826, Nauruans had regular contact with Europeans on whaling and trading ships. A 10-year Nauruan Civil War began in 1878, during which islanders traded food for alcoholic palm wine and firearms obtained from European ships.
Colonial Period
Germany annexed Nauru in 1888 following an agreement with Great Britain and incorporated it into the Marshall Islands Protectorate. The arrival of the Germans ended the civil war, and kings were established as rulers of the island. Christian missionaries from the Gilbert Islands arrived in the same year.
Phosphate was discovered on Nauru in 1900 by prospector Albert Fuller Ellis. The Pacific Phosphate Company began exploiting the reserves in 1906, exporting its first shipment in 1907. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Australian troops captured and occupied Nauru. The Treaty of Versailles placed the island under a League of Nations mandate, with the Nauru Island Agreement signed in 1919 between Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom providing for continued Australian administration and phosphate extraction by the British Phosphate Commission.
World War II and Postwar Period
Japanese troops occupied Nauru on 25 August 1942. During the occupation, the Japanese deported 1,200 Nauruans to work as labourers in the Chuuk Islands. The island was liberated on 13 September 1945, when Japanese commander Hisayaki Soeda surrendered to the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy. Of the deported Nauruans, 745 survived Japanese captivity and were repatriated in January 1946.
In 1947, a United Nations trusteeship was established with Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom as trustees, functioning as a joint administering authority with Australia exercising most administrative power in practice.
Independence and Modern Era
Nauru gained its independence from Australia in 1968. The country's economy was historically dependent on phosphate mining, which caused severe environmental damage through strip mining operations spanning over a century. The phosphate reserves were exhausted in the 1990s, and remaining reserves are not economically viable for extraction.
Following independence, a trust was established to manage the island's accumulated mining wealth for the day when reserves would be exhausted. However, this trust has diminished in value over time. To earn income after phosphate reserves depleted, Nauru briefly became a tax haven and illegal money laundering centre.
Since 2001, Nauru has accepted aid from the Australian Government in exchange for hosting the Nauru Regional Processing Centre, a controversial offshore Australian immigration detention facility. As a result of heavy dependence on Australia, some sources have identified Nauru as an Australian client state.
In May 2026, the Parliament of Nauru passed a constitutional amendment to change the country's official name in English to Naoero, reflecting the name in the Nauruan language. The change came into effect on 26 June 2026.