The Republic of Nauru, a member country of the British Commonwealth, is one of the world’s smallest nations with a land surface area of approximately 21 square kilometres and a population of approximately 10,000 people. It is remote, being situated 42 kilometres south of the Equator, 300 kilometres East of Kiribati and nearly 6,000 Kilometres Northeast of Australia.

Nauru held valuable deposits of phosphate that were mined by the British, Germans and, later, Australian interests, until the deposits were exhausted in the late 1980’s. At one point, Nauru had the world’s second highest per capita income. However, the tiny island was devastated by the process of strip mining and continues to suffer environmental consequences. Further, with the loss of income and no replacement industry, the country’s finances have also suffered, partly relying on interest generated from royalties invested in a trust fund and the balance through aid mainly from Australia. During the 1960’s, Australia offered Curtis Island off the Queensland coast to the nation for a total population relocation, which was subsequently rejected by the Nauruans.

The official language is Nauruan, a language in its own right having developed from its Polynesian roots. English is also widely spoken through necessity due to Australian and other Western cultural contact. Nauru is almost a totally Christian nation.

All Nauruans are entitled to vote in the many and frequent elections from the age of 20 years. The evidence suggests political and economic instability are continuing to grow as the reserve funds from phosphate mining continue to diminish.