English is not an official language, but it is widely spoken by the majority of the population and it is commonly used in government, legislation and commerce alongside Nauruan. The country is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Asian Development Bank and the Pacific Islands Forum. Sprent Dabwido then filed a motion of no confidence in Pitcher, resulting in him becoming president. [124], Australian rules football is the most popular sport in Nauru—it and weightlifting are considered the country's national sports. A 19-member unicameral parliament is elected every three years. Many indigenous birds have disappeared or become rare owing to the destruction of their habitat. [90] By November 2005, only two refugees, Mohammed Sagar and Muhammad Faisal remained on Nauru from those first sent there in 2001,[91] with Sagar finally resettling in early 2007. Settled by people from Micronesia and Polynesia c. 1000 BC, Nauru was annexed and claimed as a colony by the German Empire in the late 19th century. Germany took control towards the end of the 19th century, and it wasn’t long after this that phosphate deposits were discovered that would transform the fortunes for the island and its inhabitants forever. The Japanese deported 1,200 Nauruans to work as labourers in the Chuuk Islands,[40] which was also occupied by Japan. [65], Fauna is sparse on the island because of a lack of vegetation and the consequences of phosphates mining. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. [83] The US Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program operates a climate-monitoring facility on the island. [19][20] The name "Nauru" may derive from the Nauruan word Anáoero, which means 'I go to the beach'. Following a vote of no confidence on 19 December 2007, Scotty was replaced by Marcus Stephen. In 1963, the Australian Government proposed to acquire all the land on Curtis Island (which was considerably larger than Nauru) and then offer the Nauruans freehold title over the island and that the Nauruans would become Australian citizens. [14][15][16] The sovereign state is a member of the United Nations, Pacific Islands Forum, Commonwealth of Nations and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States. [103], Nauru is one of the most Westernized countries in the South Pacific. [137], This article is about the island country. [2] Australia is responsible for Nauru's defence under an informal agreement between the two countries. Independence Day is celebrated on 31 January.[127]. After World War I, Nauru became a League of Nations mandate administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In 1962, Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, said that the three countries involved in the mining had an obligation to provide a solution for the Nauruan people, and proposed finding a new island for them. [132] The Nauru Community Library is in the new University of the South Pacific Nauru Campus building, which was officially opened in May 2018. Get a round-up of all our stories published during the past week delivered to your email every Saturday. With only a 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) area, Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind Vatican City, and Monaco, making it the smallest republic. In 1971, the Soviet U, Teufelsberg, Berlin.
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