There’s a beautiful little oval-shaped island in the South
Pacific Ocean called Naura, which lies south of the Marshall
Islands. It’s the smallest independent republic in the world as
it’s about 12 square miles in size and has a population of
around 15,000. It was formerly known as Pleasant Island and
originally settled by Polynesian and Micronesian people about
3,000 years ago.
The German Empire claimed it as a colony in the late 19th
century and it was occupied by Australian forces in World War 1
and by Japanese troops in World War II. It became a dependent
territory in 1968. The Australian dollar is still the national
currency used in Nauru.
The island makes its money from exporting phosphates to
several countries around the world such as South Korea, New
Zealand, and Australia. However, the phosphate reserves may be
drained by the year 2050, so many people are turning to fishing.
Nauru is blessed with good weather all year round as it has a
tropical climate. It gets some rain between November and
February though. The
island has several sandy beaches to enjoy, but the majority
of the island is surrounded by spectacular coral reefs.
You can get into Nauru by plane as there are weekly flights
from Brisbane in Australia, and the Solomon Islands. You can
also reach it by boat. Once on Nauru, you’ll find there’s a road
that basically circles the island. You can walk of course or
ride a bicycle to explore the land and there is also a community
bus which buzzes around the island each day. You should also be
able to rent a car if you’d prefer to do the driving yourself.
Even though the official language of the island is Nauruan,
which is a Pacific Island language, you shouldn’t have a problem
at all speaking English as it’s quite common there with the
residents. Most of the islands’ food is shipped in from
Australia and you’ll find quite a few small places to eat there
with Chinese food being the most popular. Locally, there’s a
good supply of seafood, fresh fruits, and coconuts. There’s one
bar on the island which has a good selection of international
spirits and Australian beers on hand.
You’ll find a couple of hotels in Nauru, one on the east side
of the island and one in the west. It’s a good idea to book well
in advance if you plan on staying in one of them. The Menen is
the biggest of the hotels as it has about 120 rooms as well as a
conference centre. It also has two restaurants and is home to
the island's bar.
The culture is derived from Polynesian and Micronesian people
and one of their biggest celebrations is Angam Day, which is
held on October 26. This celebrates the recovery of the island
and its people after the World Wars. The island is also
influenced by contemporary, colonial, and western cultures.
However, you can still see signs of old customs as well as
traditional arts, crafts, music, and fishing.
Although it’s a small place, sports are big and Australian
Rules football is king as there’s a seven-team league there. All
the games take place at the Linkbelt Oval, the only stadium in
Nauru. Other popular sports include cricket, softball, sailing,
golf, rugby, tennis, and association football. The country takes
part in the Summer Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Historic Nauru offers visitors a chance to relax and engage
in some activities such as deep seas fishing, swimming, cycling,
walking, scuba diving, and shopping. The scenery and weather are
wonderful, the sea is deep blue and clear and the people
friendly.
About Nauru