The unofficial capital of Nauru. Relations with EU countries. Useful information for tourists

— Island state in the center Pacific Ocean a few kilometers south of the equator. Represents coral island oval shape.

The name comes from the ethnonym Naurans.

Official name: Republic of Nauru

Capital - official capital and there are no cities on the island. The seat of government is located in Meneng District, while government offices and parliament are located in Yaren District.

Square - 21 km2.

Population - 13 thousand people

Administrative division - The state is divided into 14 districts.

Form of government - Republic.

head of state - The president.

Official language - Nauru, English.

Religion - 60% - Protestants, 38% - Catholics.

Ethnic composition - 58% - Nauru (Naurians or Naurans), 26% - Melanesians, 8% - Chinese, 8% - Europeans ..

Currency - Australian dollar = 100 cents.

Internet domain: .nr

Mains voltage: ~220 V, 50 Hz

Phone country code: +674

Climate

Equatorial monsoon, very hot and humid.

The island of Nauru lies almost on the equator, so the average monthly temperatures - from +28 C to +34 C change little throughout the year. At the same time, the daytime heat, due to the lack of vegetation and the strong heating of the rocky base from the scorching rays of the sun, can reach + 38-41 C, while at night it is only slightly cooler. Only in the period from March to October, when the northeast trade winds blow, the air temperature drops by 3-4 C, but only along the coast - the region of the Central Plateau warms up as significantly as at any other time of the year.

Precipitation falls about 2500 mm per year. From November to February, the cyclone season lasts, when the weather becomes extremely wet, and the island literally "drowns in the rain", but in the rest of the year, due to lack of vegetation and soil characteristics, real droughts are common.

Geography

The island of Nauru lies in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, about 42 km from the equator. nearest island Banaba (Oshen) is located 306 km east of Nauru and belongs to the Republic of Kiribati.

Nauru Island - Raised coral atoll, confined to the top of the volcanic cone. The island has an oval shape, from the east the coast is concave - there is the Gulf of Anibar. Length - 5.6 km, width - 4 km. The length of the coastline is about 19 km. The most high point- 65 m (according to various sources 61-71 m) - located on the border of the districts of Aivo and Buada. Approximately at a distance of 1 km from the coast, the depth of the ocean reaches more than 1000 m. This is due to the fact that in this place there is a steep cliff that reaches the ocean floor.

The surface of the island is a narrow coastal plain 100-300 m wide, surrounding a limestone plateau, the height of which in the central part of Nauru reaches 30 m. The plateau was previously covered with a thick layer of phosphorites, presumably formed from the excrement of seabirds. The island is bordered by a narrow reef (about 120-300 m wide), exposed at low tide and dotted with reef peaks. There are 16 channels dug into the reef, allowing small boats to approach directly the shore of the island.

Flora and fauna

There are 60 species of plants recorded on the island, but none of them is a natural inhabitant of this land - almost all of them have been introduced by humans to one degree or another. Bananas, pineapples and vegetables are grown on the fertile lands around the Buada lagoon, coral remnants cover small pockets of secondary vegetation. The soils are porous sandy loam, on which coconut palms, pandanuses, ficuses, laurel (calophyllum) and other deciduous trees grow. Also common different types shrub formations. The most dense vegetation is confined to the coastal strip and the vicinity of the lake. Buada. The recultivated quarry dumps are planted with bushes.

The fauna is also extremely scarce - only about 20 species of birds can be attributed to the natural inhabitants of the island, including the most famous local inhabitant - the reed nightingale, or the Nauru canary, as well as about a hundred species of insects and earth crabs common to the islands of the region. All other animals (Polynesian rat, pigs, dogs, etc.) were brought here by man. From mammals, rats are found, from reptiles - lizards. The avifauna is more diverse (waders, terns, petrels, frigatebirds, pigeons, etc.). Lots of insects.

Dangerous plants and animals

In the waters around the islands, there are several varieties of sharks and many poisonous sea creatures (primarily sea snakes, some types of fish and corals). Some species marine life contain poisonous toxins in their meat, so it is always recommended to consult with the locals about the safety of a particular product. When swimming, it is better to use wetsuits, and to enter the water on an unequipped coast, wear strong shoes that protect your feet from the needles of marine animals and sharp edges of coral fragments.

Banks and currency

Australian dollar (AUD, A$), equal to 100 cents. In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars, as well as coins of 1 and 2 dollars, 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents. You can exchange currency in banks or in any of the hotels on the island.

American Express, Diners Club and Visa credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but there are no ATMs on the island. Traveler's checks can be cashed at banks and hotels. Despite the widespread use of non-cash means of payment, in many places a clear preference is given to cash.

Branches of the Bank of Nauru are usually open from Monday to Thursday, from 09.00 to 15.00, on Fridays - from 09.00 to 16.30.

Useful information for tourists

Nauru has little to offer the traveler - beaches on secluded coral reefs and atolls, colorful coral reefs themselves, sunken ships and planes from the Second World War that literally surround the island. Pure water and excellent conditions for sport fishing make it attractive for outdoor enthusiasts. Drinking water is imported.

The export of samples of plants and animals under state protection, eggs and stuffed birds, as well as products made from leather, bone, bird feathers, shells and corals is prohibited.

Nauru is famous in the world mainly due to its three features. This is the smallest island state on our planet, the smallest independent republic and most small state outside of Europe.
To this exclusivity of Nauru, it is usually added that there is no official capital in this state at all. This is true. Symbolically, this role is played by the Yaren district, where government offices are located, but the Aivo (Aiue) district looks more respectable, there are two hotels, a small boulevard, Chinatown, piers and a canal leading to them: in other places it is difficult to approach the coast because of the ring coral reefs. And channels are dug in them - narrow, for fishing boats.

Story

Despite its more than modest size, Nauru has a very solid history in terms of time. This cone-shaped atoll, volcanic in origin and overgrown with coral, is believed to have been inhabited by the "peoples of the sea" about 3,000 years ago. As most ethnologists believe, they were newcomers from the Bismarck Islands, children of the Oceania ethnos, united in antiquity, before the isolation of the Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian ethnic groups within it. For Europe, the island was discovered in 1798 by the Englishman John Fearn, who called it Pleasant: this is how the island was called for almost 90 years. The origin of the name Nauru is vague. Some linguists derive it from the phrase "I'm going ashore" in the Nauran language, others consider this version unlikely. In the 19th century white people began to settle on the island, mostly runaway convicts and sailors who arbitrarily left whaling ships. Their dashing manners and customs contributed to the fact that drunkenness, theft and venereal diseases appeared on Nauru. Then small merchants came, also not to say very cultured people. Fights, shootings have become commonplace in Nauru.
Finally, in 1888, the island was annexed by the Germans, who incorporated it into a protectorate. Missionaries from Germany converted the natives to Christianity, and that was the end of restoring order on the island, effectively handing over the reins of government to the Australians. And those in 1914, during the First World War, completely captured the island. In 1923, it acquired the status of a mandated territory of the League of Nations, while Australia received all the rights of administration, although it formally disposed of everything here on an equal footing with Great Britain and New Zealand. During World War II, from August 25, 1942 to September 13, 1945, Nauru was occupied by Japan. In 1947 the old order, now under a UN mandate, was restored. Little by little, a movement for independence began to take shape on the island, and in 1968 the desired goal was achieved. At the same time, the Republic of Nauru became a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and later other international organizations.
Nauruans live mainly along the coastline in a strip 100-300 m wide and around Lake Buada. The water in it is slightly brackish: the lake comes from a lagoon inside a coral reef, but there are no rivers on the island, the only source fresh water- it rains, and therefore it is considered very good to live near this lake, especially since there are also hanos fish in it. natural world Nauru cannot be called rich and diverse, but it is also meager, it is the way it was created by geographical and climatic conditions, far from favorable for atolls in general, as well as newcomers from the continent. Of the trees here, the coconut palm predominates. There are also pandanus, several types of ficuses and shrubs. The soil is covered different types creeping vascular plants. Near Lake Buada there are cherry, almond and mango groves, hibiscus is found. Mammals are represented by cats, dogs, pigs and rodents brought by white settlers, from whom the islanders also received chickens. There are six types of birds on Naru. Reptiles are represented only by lizards.
The coral island of Nauru, on which the island of the same name is located miniature state, is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, about 42 km south of the equator line, and belongs to Oceania. The nearest island is Banaba (Ogien), state-owned, is located 288 km to the east. To Australia - 4505 km to the northeast, to New Guinea - 1500 km to the west.
Approximately four-fifths of the island's area is occupied by the Topside Plateau, from 40 to 60 m above sea level, which for some time became a cornucopia for the economy of Nauru and a curse for its nature.
Once this plateau was completely covered with trees and shrubs. At the beginning of the XX century. a German-British consortium began to mine phosphates here. It was a highly profitable business, and no one thought that nature would suffer - neither the Nauruans themselves, nor the entrepreneurs: it seemed to them that the “golden age” that had come would never end. GDP per capita in Nauru in 1986 was $20,000. In the late 1980s, when market prices for phosphate dropped sharply, a recession set in. To date, phosphate reserves remain for several years. Limestone pits, deformed by erosion, gape at the quarry sites, petrified cliffs and dumps pile up above them. Language clichés like "lunar landscape" sound like sarcasm here. Clouds of white dust rise from the pits, settling on palm trees. And yet, about 65% of the soil cover has been restored thanks to the hardiness of vascular plants. The period of financial prosperity also had unexpected social consequences for Nauru. Mostly Chinese, immigrants from Tuvalu and Kiribati worked in the quarries, and Nauruans have forgotten how to work, local officials complain, which is why new jobs are not being created. This, of course, is cunning: officials simply do not know what to do with these problems, moreover, while the reserves of money made in the "fat" years, the inhabitants of the island have not yet dried up. Perhaps only the fishermen are working at full strength. Some are grown on small plantations. The main part of food, clean fresh water, fuel, building materials and even land is imported mainly from Australia.
When the mines began to close on Nauru, the government, consisting of four people, each of whom is responsible for several areas, launched a well-known scheme that works in other small states of Oceania: offshore and no control over financial transactions. This project put Nauru on the "black list" of many international credit institutions, on suspicion of facilitating money laundering by various mafias, which is not unfounded. Nevertheless, financial services in Nauru are still available and in demand. Although the offshore office is located in ... a small hut, it has about 200 registered banks from different countries. Income is also generated by the sale of Nauru citizenship, the issuance of stamps and commemorative coins.
As for tourism in Nauru, to tell the truth, only extreme lovers who are ready for everyday hardships get here. The beaches on Nauru nominally exist, just sit comfortably on their uneven surface, dotted with sharp fragments of coral and sea ​​urchins, it won’t work, they are not equipped with amenities, besides, you can get into a strong current near the coast, and the depth here begins abruptly and close to the edge of the coast. The only exception is, perhaps, the Anibare beach, and even then with reservations. It's the same story with golf courses. They exist, but most of them resemble abandoned wastelands. And pools in hotels are a relative concept, they do not always have water, simply because it is not enough. However, divers who collect in the register of their personal exploits different places where you can hunt exotic fish, admire the underwater life of the ocean, coral reefs and sunken ships, they visit the island quite regularly. They are satisfied with the adventure: 100 meters from the shore, the depth exceeds 1000 meters. An additional adrenaline rush is guaranteed: sharks, sea snakes and poisonous sea creatures are unceremoniously hosting here. You have to constantly be on the alert, and dive under water only in a special wetsuit with a high degree of protection.

general information

Form of government: parliamentary republic.

Administrative division: 14 districts.

Administrative center: Yaren District (Denigomodu).

Languages: English, Nauran.
Ethnic composition: Nauru people - 73.4%, other Polynesians - 10%, Chinese - 8%, Europeans - 8%.

Religions: Christianity (60.5% - Protestantism of various denominations, about 35.2% - Catholicism), about 5% of the inhabitants profess Buddhism and Taoism, 2% - Bahai. A small group of Nauruans adhere to traditional beliefs, worshiping the goddess Eijebong and the island spirit Buitani.

Currency unit: Australian dollar.

Lake : Buada.

Nearest airport: Nauru (international), flights to Brisbane (Australia) once a week.

Numbers

Population: 10,084 (2011).
Population density: 473.4 people / km 2.
Area of ​​exclusive economic coastal zone(EEZ): 308,480 km2, of which 570 km2 is in territorial waters.

highest point: Command Ridge (Janor), according to various sources - from 61 to 71 m.
coastline length: 18 km.

Climate and weather

Average annual temperature: approx. +27.5°C.
Average annual rainfall: 2060 mm, in especially rainy years that occur periodically - up to 4500 mm.

Rainy season: November to February.

Economy

Fishing.
Agriculture: cultivation of coconuts, yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, pineapples, papayas, mangoes.
Service industry: financial services, freight sea ​​vessels, trade in fishing licenses in the Exclusive Economic Zone, tourism.

Attractions

Curious facts

The content of the article

NAURU, The Republic of Nauru, a state on the island of the same name in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean (0 ° 30º S and 166 ° 55º E). Nauru Island is a coral atoll confined to the top of a volcanic cone. The island is 5.6 km long and 4 km wide. Coastline length approx. 19 km. The highest point is 65 m above sea level.

Nature.

The hilly limestone plateau, located in the central part of the island, slopes down to the coast in ledges and is covered with a thick layer of phosphorites. Along the perimeter of the island stretches a strip of sandy terraces and beaches with a width of 100 to 300 m. The island is bordered by a narrow barrier reef separating the shallow lagoon from the deep water area.

The climate of Nauru is equatorial, hot and humid. Average monthly temperatures approx. 28 ° C. The average annual rainfall is 2000 mm. There are dry years, and in some years up to 4500 mm of precipitation falls. The wettest season lasts from November to February, when the western monsoons prevail.

There are no rivers on Nauru. In the southwestern part of the island there is a small freshwater lake Buada, which is fed by seeping rainwater. drinking water produced at a single desalination plant and imported from Australia. For domestic needs, rainwater flowing from the roofs is collected in containers.

The soils are porous sandy loam, on which coconut palms, pandanuses, ficuses, laurel (calophyllum) and other deciduous trees grow. Various types of shrub formations are also widespread. The most dense vegetation is confined to the coastal strip and the vicinity of the lake. Buada. The recultivated quarry dumps are planted with bushes.

The fauna of Nauru is poor. From mammals, rats are found, from reptiles - lizards. The avifauna is more diverse (waders, terns, petrels, frigatebirds, pigeons, etc.). Lots of insects.

Population.

According to an estimate in 2004, the island was inhabited by 12.8 thousand people. Of these, 58% are Nauruans, who are part of the Polynesian group of peoples, 26% are from other islands of Oceania, 8% are Chinese and Europeans each. The birth rate is estimated at 25.61 per 1000 inhabitants, the death rate is 6.95 per 1000, and the natural population growth is 1.87%. Infant mortality in 2004 was estimated at 10.14 per 1000 births. In the composition of the population, the age group under 14 years old is 38.2%, from 15 to 64 years old - 60%, over 65 years old - 1.9%.

As of July 2011, the population was estimated at 9,378.
33% of the population are children and adolescents under 14 years old, people over 65 years old - 1.6% of the population.

The average age of Nauruans is 24.2 years. Population growth rate 0.608%.
countries compared to the world: 143

The birth rate is estimated at 27 births per 1000 population, the death rate is
5.97 deaths per 1,000 population (July 2011 est.).

Infant mortality has fallen to 8.51 deaths per 1,000 babies.

Life expectancy is 65.7 years.

The official languages ​​are Nauruan and English. Among believers, more than 60% are Protestants, the rest are Catholics.

There is no official capital and cities on the island. The seat of government is located in the Meneng district, while government offices and parliament are located in the Yaren district.

State device.

According to the constitution adopted in 1968, the president (head of state and government) is elected by the parliament from among its members for a term of three years. Legislature- Parliament consists of 18 deputies who are elected by popular vote for a three-year term. Executive power is exercised by the government, which consists of 5 or 6 ministers and is accountable to parliament. All Nauruans over the age of 20 have the right to vote. The highest court is the Supreme Court.

Economy.

The main source of income in Nauru is the export of high quality phosphate rock. Thanks to this, the GDP per person until 2005 was 13 thousand dollars. Approx. 2 million tons of phosphorites, and their reserves are rapidly depleted.

In 2005, an Australian mining company entered into an agreement to exploit the remaining phosphate reserves. In 2006, open pit mining of phosphorites was completed, but in 2006, mining began from deeper layers. These reserves will be depleted in 30 years. With the prospect of depleting the phosphate rock deposit, a significant amount of the proceeds from the sale of phosphate rock have been invested in trust funds that should secure Nauru's economic future and ease the transition to a different way of doing things. To cut costs, the government froze salaries and reduced the number of civil servants. Nauru lost additional income in 2008 due to the closure of the Australian refugee center seeking to enter Australia.

A significant part of the country's income in last years is Australian aid. Content on site

Statistics on the economy of Nauru, in particular GDP estimates, vary widely.

In 2005, GDP per capita is estimated at $5,000.

Coconut trees are grown on the island. Developed fishing. The economy largely depends on the influx of labor from outside, mainly from the neighboring island states of Kiribati and Tuvalu.

Food, fuel, machinery and equipment, building materials, and consumer goods are imported into the country. The export value of phosphorites is four times the amount of imports.

The main foreign trade partners are Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Great Britain.

Nauru has a 3.9 km railway linking the phosphorite mining area in the center of the island with the port on southwest coast. A 19 km long highway has been laid along the coast. There is an airport.

Story.

Nauru was discovered in 1798 by the American navigator John Fearn. At that time, at least 12 tribal groups lived on the island. In 1888, Nauru was annexed by Germany and included in the protectorate New Guinea. In 1906, the Australian Pacific Phosphate Company received permission to develop phosphorites. During the First World War in 1914, Nauru was occupied by Australia. In 1919, in accordance with the mandate of the League of Nations, Nauru was transferred to the joint administration of Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain, but Australia carried out the administration. These countries have created a joint company "British Phosphate Commission" for the development of phosphorite deposits, which until the Second World War led their intensive development.

Japan occupied the island between 1942 and 1945, and Australian rule was restored after the war. In 1947, Nauru became a UN Trust Territory and was transferred to the administration of Great Britain, the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand. In 1927, a Council of Leaders elected by the people was created, which was endowed with only limited deliberative powers. In the 1940s and 1950s, an independence movement took shape on the island. In 1951, the Council of Leaders was transformed into the Nauruan Council of Local Government, an advisory body to the colonial administration. By 1966, it was possible to achieve the creation of local Legislative and Executive Councils, which ensured internal self-government in Nauru. On January 31, 1968, the independence of the Republic of Nauru was proclaimed. In the same year, the republic became an associate member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Hammer DeRoburt became president after independence, a position he held until 1989, with the exception of a brief period in 1986-1987, when Kennon Adang came to power. In August 1989, after a period of political instability and a vote of no confidence, DeRoburt was forced to resign. Bernard Doviyogo was elected President the same year and was re-elected in 1992. After the April 1999 elections, René Harris became President. After the elections held in April 2000, Doviyogo was re-elected president, Rene Harris resigned. However, Harris returned to the post in March 2001.

Nauru in the 21st century

After the decision of the Nauru authorities to accept, at the request of the Australian government, over 1,200 illegal refugees from Afghanistan and the countries of the Middle East in exchange for financial assistance (annual $ 10.6 million), protests began in the country. As a result, Parliament passed a vote of no confidence in President Rene Harris and his government. Harris was stripped of power and replaced by the country's former president, veteran politician Bernard Dowiyogo. Harris, however, stated that the vote was invalid and was reinstated. Supreme Court but resigned shortly after the decision was made. Dowiyogo re-assumed the presidency, but died two months later, in March. Parliamentary presidential elections were held in May 2003 and were won by Ludwig Derangadage Scotti. He was elected with 10 votes in Parliament. Scotty was elected president of the country twice more - in June 2004, after the dissolution of Parliament and the introduction of a state of emergency in the country, and in August 2007. However, after allegations of financial irregularities against his deputy, Scotty was passed a vote of no confidence in December 2007. he was replaced by Mark Stephen.

In November 2011, Sprent Jared Dabvido was elected as the new president.

Since May 1, 1999, Nauru has been a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and since September 1999, the United Nations. Nauru is a member of the South Pacific Commission and the South Pacific Forum.

Anticipating the closure of the only source of foreign exchange earnings in the near future, the government invests a significant part of export earnings in real estate abroad and special accumulation funds.

Nauru is one of several island nations threatened by potential sea level rise as a result of global warming.

In a country with a population of just over ten thousand people, the number of hotels can be counted on the fingers. Tourism is not very well developed here, so most hotels are convenient only for a one-time stop. Only at Menen hotel rooms in the form of small bungalows. But tourists appreciate it not for this, but for a free transfer from the airport and a good bar, which is visited even by locals. The cost of living is quite high - from 200 Australian dollars per day.

Attractions

Nauru is a state located on the island of the same name in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. This is the smallest state outside the colony. At the beginning of the last century, it was part of the German colonial empire, after the First World War, it was administered by Australia and New Zealand. Throughout the 20th century, active mining of phosphates for the production of fertilizers was carried out on the island, so the landscape of the island turned into a “lunar” one. Because of this, the island has nothing to offer the current traveler. There is no natural parks, architectural heritage and what attracts travelers from all over the world to explore unknown lands.

Resorts

There are no beaches in Nauru. There are several places where a bulldozer dug a small channel where you can swim. Tourism is limited due to environmental pollution left over from the extraction of mineral resources decades ago.

Climate of Nauru:: Tropical with monsoons. Rainy season (November to February).

Leisure

Fishing is the only way to entertain yourself. As in any equatorial country, in Nauru it is interesting and diverse. There is nothing else to do in Nauru.

Transport

The length of the roads is only 40 kilometers, although there are surprisingly many cars. Local residents travel by car or quad bikes. There are two taxi cars. Cars can be rented from a local resident. Travelers who have visited the island joke that the cost of renting a car in Nauru is similar to the price of renting a plane in Cyprus.

Terrain Nauru:: The sandy beach rises in a fertile ring around coral reefs with a phosphate plateau in the center.

Standard of living

In just a few decades, Nauru has evolved from the richest country in the world (in the 1980s, average wages local residents were four times the wages of US citizens) into one of the poorest. In the last century, phosphate mining was carried out on the island, but after the natural reserves dried up, and 90% of the forests on the island were cut down, the islanders began to live on the remnants of money earned from the extraction of mineral resources.

Nauru is currently selling citizenship foreign citizens(the so-called "investor passports") and diplomatic opportunities (it is known that the republic broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan for $130 million from China).

Cities

Nauru is one of the smallest countries in the world. It has no official capital. Denigomodu County is the largest locality islands. Two thousand people live here.

Nauru has resources like: : Phosphates, fish.

Your stay in Nauru can be very long if you do not have an exit visa. Planes from other countries rarely fly here, and the local airline has an agreement only with neighboring Australia and a number of neighboring countries. If you don't have their visa, you're stuck here for a long time.

Nauru is a small republic, which is a small oval coral island located just 25 miles south of the equator. If you characterize more precisely the location of the island, then it is located in the South Pacific Ocean, south of Marshall Islands. The state in terms of area is the third of the smallest countries in the world - less Nauru only Monaco and the Vatican. But meager territorial possessions are far from the most interesting thing in the life of this country. Much more interesting is the unusual story that happened to the whole country. The country of Nauru, which was always very poor, suddenly became fabulously rich, but quickly lost its treasures, again falling below the poverty line. How could this happen? The story is not only fascinating, but also quite instructive.

The land of the Pacific island is a plateau with sandy beach and palm trees, surrounded by coral reefs. It would seem a tropical equatorial paradise. People have always lived there quietly, calmly and poorly. The islanders sometimes saw only visiting sailors from whaling ships. The first British navigator landed on this coast in 1798.

During World War II, Nauru was occupied by the Japanese, but soon the island came under the control of Australia. The people of Nauru received their long-awaited independence only in 1968.

The Amazing History of Nauru

Now oh unusual story enrichment. Long before independence, namely, in 1899, a British company discovered that the island of Nauru was practically composed of solid phosphates. Phosphates are widely used for the needs of agriculture for the manufacture of fertilizers, which significantly increase crop yields. Mining began on the island in the early 20th century by a German-British consortium. In general, for more than a century, companies from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain have been mining from the bowels of the island. The extraction of phosphates was carried out within relatively reasonable limits. But then the island gained independence, and the situation changed dramatically.

After Nauru became independent state, the export of phosphates has increased significantly. Due to such a predatory attitude towards their own land, the Nauruans became in a short time one of the richest people on the planet. Tiny country's imputed per capita income is the highest in the world after Saudi Arabia, and by 1970, the average salary of the islanders was four times higher than the salary of US residents.

As is usually the case, not only the income of the natives of the island has changed, but also their way of life. The people of Nauru stopped going to work and their children stopped going to school. Each family had foreign servants and several expensive cars in the house.

The sedentary lifestyle of local residents turned into a real disaster for them: they began to rapidly gain weight, many of them suffered not only from overweight, but also from diabetes.

And the once flourishing island of Nauru, whose soil layers were ruthlessly cleared by excavators, has become a real ecological dump. The surface of the earth became almost bare rock. The island has become unsuitable for life, as flowers cannot bloom on the rock and new buildings can not be erected.

Already in the 1980s, the government of Nauru was forced to reduce the export of phosphorites. Firstly, they are practically gone, and secondly, they have become much cheaper, as new technologies have replaced phosphate fertilizers and demand has decreased significantly. People so accustomed to living in luxury found themselves on the verge of poverty. Wealth, so unexpectedly appeared, disappeared without a trace.

Financial state of Nauru today

The authorities of Nauru have taken quite interesting and intricate moves to remedy the plight. First, it was decided to bring the soil to the island. But the idea failed because the soil had to be supported by plant roots, and there were none left on the island.

Then Nauru appealed to the International Court of Justice to compensate for the damage from almost a century of phosphate mining on the island by foreign companies. In 1993, Australia offered Nauru 2.5 million Australian dollars as compensation for an out-of-court settlement of the conflict, this money was paid in installments over twenty years. New Zealand and the UK additionally agreed to pay a lump sum settlement of $12 million each.

An interesting fact is that even Russia paid compensation to the state of Nauru. True, not for phosphates, but for speculation on diplomatic relations. In 2009, at the request of Russia, Nauru recognized the independence of the new states, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, receiving for this a round sum of $ 50 million from the Russian government as gratitude. But even that is not all, the Russians paid for the reconstruction of the inhabitants of Nauru port, which cost $ 9 million.

Not only Russian government thanked the state of Nauru. In 2002, Nauru, at the request of China, severed diplomatic relations with the state of Taiwan. It cost China $130 million.

In addition, Nauru provided Australia with another unusual service. And, of course, not for free.

In 2001, the container ship Tampa rescued several hundred people trying to escape from a sinking Indonesian ship. These people turned out to be illegal immigrants, refugees from the poor countries of Asia, who tried to escape poverty on Christmas Island in Indian Ocean, which is an Australian federal territory. The Australian Government has asked the Government of Nauru to host these refugees.

As compensation, Australia offered the islanders $20 million, and got rid of unwanted foreigners in this way. These people still live in Nauru in very poor conditions, without medical care.

Tourism in Nauru

Nauru has limited tourism activities, although there are excellent conditions for diving and fishing. Every year, an average of 200 tourists visit Nauru, so crowds of tourists are not a problem at all. The shallow water around the island has many picturesque coral reefs. The island has an untouched beautiful lagoon with sand and palm trees.

Nauru is such a small state that it takes less than one hour to drive around the island. The traffic lights on the island are only used to stop traffic and allow the plane to land at the terminal without any problems!

Nauru has scheduled bus, which runs around the island every hour during the day. Cars and bicycles can be rented.

The official language is the local language of the Pacific Islands. But English language widespread and widely used.

As national currency Nauru uses the Australian dollar. Credit cards accepted extremely rarely, since there are no banks and ATMs in Nauru.

How to get to Nauru

All foreign guests are required to enter the island with a valid international passport, thirty days tourist visa and a document confirming the hotel reservation or the presence of a local sponsor. The visa must be obtained before departure at the Nauru embassy.

Now about how to get to Nauru. The airline, the national carrier of Nauru, flies once a week from Brisbane Airport in Australia with a stop in Honiara on Solomon Islands. The schedule may change throughout the year.

The sale and use of drugs and narcotic drugs of any kind are severely punished here.

Homosexual contact is illegal in Nauru and can lead to prosecution. Open displays of affection between same-sex partners may offend the people of Nauru.

Cuisine of Nauru

Products Nauru imports from Australia, they are brought by ship, as a rule, once every six to eight weeks.

There are many small food outlets on the island. There is also a Capelle supermarket and an Aiwo pizzeria.

Meat is one of the staple foods on the island, but since Nauru is an island nation, seafood is also very popular.

The most popular in the list of restaurants and bars in Nauru is local restaurant Reinaldo who offers meals Chinese food. Although there are many other restaurants and bars in Nauru.