A Brief History of Nauru

 

About 3,000 years ago, the island of Nauru was first inhabited by Polynesian and Micronesian people who were experts in aquaculture. The national flag of Nauru displays a twelve-pointed star which represents the twelve traditional tribes of Nauru.

 

The first westerner to visit Nauru was John Fearn, a British naval captain and a whale hunter, in 1798. Nauruans traded with Europeans starting around 1830. Among items they traded for wine and firearms were fresh water (from Nauru) and food. It was these firearms which were used in the Nauruan Tribal War that lasted for ten years (1878-1888), and reduced the Nauru population from 1,400 to 900 people.

 

The war ended when the Germans arrived and incorporated Nauru into the Marshall Island Protectorate of Germany. The war established rulers, and the kings of Nauru brought significant changes.

 

Eventually, a prospector named Albert Ellis discovered that Nauru was rich in phosphate. In a 1906 agreement with Germany, the Pacific Phosphate Company began exploiting the island. In 1914, Australian troops captured Nauru. Since then, the island has been under the governance of countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

 

The island was also involved in World War II. When the war ended, The United Nations entrusted Nauru to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In 1966, Nauru became a self-governing entity. In 1968, it had achieved its independence under the leadership of Hammer DeRoburt, the country’s founding president.

 

You can learn more about Nauru’s history by visiting the island and engaging locals in conversations - certainly a great deal more than from what books can tell. Aside from that, you can enjoy the natural beauty that was almost destroyed by mining.