Lying in an isolated position in the central Pacific between the Solomon and Gilbert islands and just south of the equator (0°31S and 166°56E), about 2000 km (1300 miles) northeast of Australia, Nauru Island has been an independent republic since 1968. It was discovered in 1798 by Captain Fearn, who named it “Pleasant Island.” From 1888 until World War I it was part of the German colonial empire and before independence was an Australian mandate.
Nauru has a narrow coastal strip backed by coral cliffs and is completely surrounded by a fringing coral reef. The interior is a barren plateau with extensive deposits of phosphate, with reserves amounting to about 70 million tons, of which about 1.5 million tons are exported each year; this brings in an annual revenue of more than $10 million, enabling the inhabitants to enjoy one of the highest per capita incomes in this part of the world.
Nauru possesses no natural ports. Her shores descend almost vertically into deep waters, necessitating...
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References
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Fairbridge, R.W. (1975). Nauru . In: World Regional Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31081-1_76
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31081-1_76
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