Nauru Introduction 2001

Background: Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied by Australian forces in World War I. Upon achieving independence in 1968, Nauru became the smallest independent republic in the world; it joined the UN in 1999.

NOTE: The information regarding Nauru on this page is re-published from the 2001 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Nauru Introduction 2001 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Nauru Introduction 2001 should be addressed to the CIA.