Where is the country of Nauru. Armed forces and police. Foreign policy and international relations
Useful data for tourists about Nauru, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Nauru, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions Nauru.
Geography of Nauru
Republic of Nauru - dwarf state on the same name coral island in the western part Pacific Ocean. Nauru is the smallest independent republic on Earth, the smallest island state, the smallest state outside of Europe and the only republic in the world without an official capital.
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. The surface of the island is a narrow coastal plain 100-300 m wide, surrounding a limestone plateau, which reaches a height of 30 m in the central part of Nauru.
State
State structure
Nauru is a parliamentary republic. The head of state is the president. Legislature- Parliament of 18 deputies. Executive power is exercised by the government, which consists of 5 or 6 ministers and is accountable to parliament. The state is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Language
Official language: Nauruan, English
Religion
Among believers, more than 60% are Protestants, the rest are Catholics.
Currency
International name: AUD
The Australian dollar is 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. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but there are no ATMs on the island. Traveler's checks can be cashed at banks and hotels.
Nauru Tourism
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Popular hotels
Tips
Tipping is not accepted and not particularly encouraged.
Office Hours
Bank of Nauru branches are usually open from Monday to Thursday, from 09.00 to 15.00, on Fridays - from 09.00 to 16.30.
Purchases
Since the end of the 20th century, Nauru has positioned itself as an offshore center, so there is no sales tax, but a number of goods are subject to customs duties, the rules for which are periodically changed. Tobacco products and alcohol are not taxed.
The usual opening hours of commercial establishments are from Monday to Friday, from 09.00 to 17.00, on Saturdays from 09.00 to 13.00, however, many private shops operate on their own schedule.
Medicine
Safety
The waters around the islands are home to several varieties of sharks and many poisonous sea creatures.
Emergency Phones
Each region has its own emergency telephone numbers.
The world is beautiful, mysterious and able to surprise every day. For example, few people know that in the world there is a little-studied state formation, lost among endless expanses The Pacific Ocean is the smallest republic of Nauru in the world: not every geography lover will find it on the map.
Location
For those who want to try - a hint: in the western part of Oceania. The tiny country occupies the island of the same name of the same "impressive" size - just over 21 square kilometer. This is 75 (!) times less. It is not surprising that there is no such thing as the capital of Nauru - the island is simply divided into districts, and everything is short-lived.
This is a typical coral atoll that has been rising from the abyss for millions of years. Discovered as a result of a long search, the Republic of Nauru on the map looks like a moderately elongated oval (4 km wide and 6 km long) with a dent on its side - this is the Gulf of Anibar (east coast).
The atoll is surrounded - at low tide it is exposed, and then you can stare at military equipment times of the first and second world, which suffered a disaster here. The territory is mostly flat - the plateau is not much higher than the coast.
Today, the island of Nauru rises above the ocean level by an average of 30-40 meters. If the pessimistic forecasts of environmentalists about global warming come true, most of it will be under water - only the most high point islands (according to various sources, not less than 60 and not more than 71 meters).
Historical reference
The island of Nauru itself can be described in one capacious word: long-suffering. The history of a small state vividly demonstrates how small the distance between the funny and the tragic is.
People began to settle here since time immemorial: about 3 thousand years ago. Scientists believe that it was an ancient ethnic group, from which the Polynesians and Micronesians later formed.
At the moment when the island was discovered by the captain of an English ship, D. Firn (1798), it was inhabited by 12 tribes that had a very poor idea of statehood. Nauruans fished in the surrounding waters, cultivated one of its species (hanos) in an inland reservoir (there is a lake on the territory, called Buada), grew coconuts and pandans, and somehow managed without civilization.
The Englishman Firn, not interested in the opinion of the indigenous population, called the island "Pleasant" and departed for New Zealand, where he was originally sent. From that moment, the ordeals of the natives began: the future republic of Nauru was subjected to "progressive" attacks almost continuously. To begin with, Europeans appeared on the island, and with them - strong alcoholic drinks. The local population began to master the "gifts of civilization" very quickly. Some of them drank themselves together, some killed each other in internecine wars, some got acquainted with new diseases (including venereal ones).
External control
Since the tiny country did not have the resources to defend itself, the "good white people" took it under their protection. At first, England was engaged in the affairs of the natives, in 1888 the island was annexed by the restless Germans, who gave it under the control of the Jaluit Company.
At the same time, by and large, no one was particularly interested in Nauru - palm trees and original fishing with the participation of trained birds were not too impressed by the sharks of big business.
The situation changed dramatically when rich deposits of phosphorites were discovered on the island - they had a decisive influence on its history. When it turned out that there is something to profit from, powers of the world This immediately set about Nauru: a state that is not able to take advantage of someone's weakness will never become a world hegemon. In 1906, the nature of the island began to be systematically destroyed during the development of deposits.
The island is a veteran of two wars
When the First World War broke out, many would like to get a sweet piece stuffed with minerals, but the Australians were the first to manage (slightly ahead of the Japanese, who literally arrived next, but it was too late). So the future republic of Nauru took part in a global war, as a result of which it was transferred by the League of Nations "under the wing" of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand - they were supposed to manage the island together, but Australia took over these functions.
The predatory mining of minerals was in full swing, while the owners themselves natural resources dropped very little. The natives continued to drag out a semi-civilized existence, complicated by the active mining of phosphorites, and then the war broke out again.
First, the island was shelled by the Germans, but that was not so bad. Trouble came along with the Japanese, who nevertheless fulfilled their long-standing dream and captured Nauru in 1942.
The cruelty of the conquerors is indicative: it is not known why, but they deported 1.2 thousand people. local residents to the Chuuk Islands, where almost half of them died. Only in 1946, the surviving Nauruans were able to return to their homeland.
Sluggish struggle for independence
After the Second World War, in 1946, the League of Nations gave a long life. The UN that was formed took all its mandated territories under its guardianship. The guardian countries of the island, on which the Republic of Nauru is now located, were appointed the same as before - and life went on as usual.
The natives began to show a desire for independence in the 50s. Formed back in 1927, the Council of Leaders was transformed into a local self-government body that had the right to an advisory vote in the colonial government. Not thick, but "even a little bit, a teaspoon is already good."
In 1966, the Nauruans obtained permission to form an Executive and Legislative Council, and in 1968 they declared independence. Nobody particularly objected.
Crazy wealth
It was then that happy days began for the local population: the mining of phosphorites was under the control of Nauru - the state began to grow rich quickly (along with its citizens). A funny story is circulating on the Web about how the island's police chief bought himself a Lamborghini solely to prove that he would not fit into it (apparently, even in Oceania, a self-respecting employee must be very well-fed).
It is not known whether this story is true, but the natives really did not manage the treasure that had fallen on them very well. The government did not make any clear attempts to diversify incomes, for which it paid the price.
The collapse of hopes
The flag of Nauru is a blue flag divided horizontally by a yellow stripe. In the lower part - something like a shining white star, which by the end of the 20th century had set. The reserves of useful phosphorites were depleted, it suddenly turned out that the islanders had not learned to earn anything else: both fishing and agriculture were in their infancy.
In Melbourne, there is a skyscraper that once belonged to the unlucky island. In 2004, the flag of Nauru had to be removed from its spire - the government was forced to sell the building in order to return part of the public debt. The same fate befell many other assets (mainly real estate). By the end of the millennium, it became clear that Nauru was bankrupt.
An attempt to improve finances by creating an offshore zone failed - the world community, led by the United States, was not going to tolerate a local project of dubious origin - under pressure from such a respected power, the idea of \u200b\u200beasy money was abandoned.
The state of affairs
In an attempt to get money, the islanders do not disdain anything: evil tongues claim that Russia paid Nauru to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The islanders also earn on political trade, balancing between China and Taiwan.
The state, which ranked second in the world in terms of GDP per capita in 1986, “slipped” to the 160th in 2014, but the worst thing is that the situation continues to worsen.
The democratic structure of the island is personified by the parliament, consisting of "already" of 18 deputies. It is located in the Yaren district - this is a kind of "capital of Nauru", given that most public institutions located nearby. Politically, citizens are very (even too) active: three political parties per 10 thousand of the population is an impressive number, and during the unrest that accompanied the 2003 presidential election, the islanders burned down the residence of the head of state and remained without contact with the outside world for several weeks.
"Big Brother" Nauru
Today, the Republic of Nauru drags out a rather miserable existence, trying to earn at least somehow. The main source of income is cash injections from Australia.
First, the islanders filed a lawsuit against their long-term "guardian" - and finally beat out compensation for the predatory mining of the notorious phosphorites. Now the prosperous continent is paying Nauru to host refugees seeking happiness under the blue Australian skies. Some sources suspect that these people are directly local population, who are paid to sit on their island and not aspire anywhere.
The connection with Australia is generally very strong - to such an extent that the Supreme Court of Australia is considered the highest court in Nauru.
Island outlook
Their own attempts to earn money have not yet been successful. Could be doing fishing- the depth of the ocean just two kilometers from the island is more than 1000 m, but only two fishing vessels are “registered” in the port of Nauru. Agriculture, by and large, is able to serve only the population of the republic. Things are bad with drinking water- special installations, with the help of which water is desalinated, are often idle due to debts for electricity.
Tourism is also in its infancy: holidays in Nauru are not very popular, because there are much busier places in Oceania, from any point of view. over the years of "close cooperation" with the Europeans lost a lot. Traditions were forgotten, there were no ancient settlements or monuments either.
Nauru as a holiday destination
Even the weather of Nauru is a serious test for a European: since the island is located almost on the equator (42 km to the south), it is very humid and hot here. In summer there is a drought, in the daytime under 40 degrees of heat, at night it drops “already” to 30 - you can’t live here at all without an air conditioner. The activity of the sun is such that you can get burned even in the water. In the rainy season, in addition to being hot, it is also damp - in general, the climate is not for everybody.
But the saddest thing is the state of the environment. For almost a century of phosphorite mining, almost the entire territory of the island (up to 90%) was disfigured - it lost its soil layer and turned into a so-called. "lunar landscape" with which ecologists scare the planet. Since no one cared about rebuilding natural resources, almost everywhere - the intricacies of mines, cliffs, heaps of waste rock - these are spectacular views. Nauru does not get tired of asking for money for an ecosystem restoration program. The UN, which the tiny young state joined in 1999, is trying to help in every possible way. So far, however, no significant progress has been made.
In general, in Nauru, tours for which are not in great demand for the reasons already indicated, there is practically one entertainment - sea fishing with local guide. Fans say it's great. You can also scuba dive - simple dives are practiced in the Anibar Bay. Swimming pools and tennis courts have remained from the times of former prosperity.
Basic moments
The island is bordered by an annular shaft of coral reefs, 150-300 m from the coast; behind the reefs begins a steep underwater slope. On the coastal lowland, with a width of 100 to 300, residential and industrial buildings are concentrated, there are plantings of coconut palms, pandanus groves. From the sea, this lowland is bordered by a narrow beach of white coral sand, and from the inner part of the island, which is a flat plateau, it is separated by a rampart of coral limestone, rising 40–50 m above sea level.
On the plateau, under a thin layer of soil, phosphorites lie - the main wealth of the island, which forms the basis of the country's economy. Where the phosphorites have already been worked out, there remain fantastic heaps of limestone battlements and pyramids, reminiscent of a dead "lunar" landscape. Where mining has not yet begun, light hard-leaved forests, light forests and shrubs have been preserved. Nauru is sometimes referred to as the "Kuwait of the Pacific". This comparison is reminiscent of the rapid enrichment of a backward country, but this wealth is associated with the destruction of the habitat.
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. 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 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.
Story
Nauru was settled by Micronesians and Polynesians about 3,000 years ago. According to one version, the first settlers arrived in Nauru from the Bismarck Islands and represented the Proto-Oceanic ethnic group, even before its breakup into Melanesians, Micronesians and Polynesians. Traditionally, the islanders considered their maternal lineage. Before the arrival of Europeans, the population of the island of Nauru consisted of 12 tribes, which is reflected in the twelve-pointed star on the modern flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Nauru. On November 8, 1798, English captain John Fearn, sailing from New Zealand to China, was the first among Europeans to discover Nauru, who gave the island the name Pleasant Island, which was actively used for 90 years. At that time, the decomposition of the primitive communal system was observed on Nauru. The main crops were coconut palm and pandanus. Nauruans fished on the reef, with canoes and with the help of specially trained frigates (lat. Fregata minor). They also managed to acclimatize in Lake Buada chanos (English) (lat. Chanos chanos), providing for themselves additional source food. Fishing was done exclusively by men.
In the 19th century, the first Europeans began to settle on the island. They were runaway convicts, deserters from those approaching the island. whaling ships and later individual merchants. Foreigners brought venereal diseases to the island, they soldered the Nauruans, fomented internecine wars, which became incomparably more bloody due to the use of firearms.
On April 16, 1888, the island of Nauru was annexed by Germany and included in the protectorate. Marshall Islands. The population of the island was taxed. But for some time the island continued to live its secluded life. The situation changed after large deposits of phosphorites were discovered here. In 1906, the Australian Pacific Phosphate Company received permission to develop them. This left a deep imprint on the entire subsequent history of Nauru.
On August 17, 1914, the island of Nauru was captured by Australian troops during the First World War. The Australians pursued several goals. First, it was important to disrupt the German Etappendienst system by capturing the transmitting station on the island, which was part of a network of radio stations providing communication with German ships and the courts. Secondly, the Commonwealth government was wary of Japan's actions, quite rightly suspecting the latter of expansionism. As a result of the war in 1923, Nauru received the status of a mandated territory of the League of Nations and was transferred under the joint administration of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, but Australia carried out the administration. These countries bought from a private company all its rights to phosphorite deposits and created a joint company, British Phosphate Commission, to develop phosphorite deposits and sell them. Intensive development of phosphorites was carried out until the Second World War, but only meager compensation was paid to the indigenous people.
In early December 1940, the German auxiliary cruisers Komet and Orion sank one Norwegian and several British merchant ships off Nauru. Some of them were waiting for the loading of phosphorites off the coast of the island. The smoke of the burning phosphorite carrier "Triadika" was visible from the coast of Nauru. The island's radio station received alarms sent by the Komata. The information received was transmitted by radiogram to the headquarters of the Australian Navy. The wreckage of sunken ships was thrown by the waves onto the coast of Nauru. Almost all the captured crew members and passengers were landed by the Germans on December 21 on the island of Emirau in the Bismarck archipelago. Some of them were able to quickly reach the city of Kavienga and inform the Australians about the impending attack on the island of Nauru, but Australia did not have warships capable of preventing the raid in this area. On December 27, 1940, the Komet cruiser returned to Nauru to bombard port facilities. Standing abeam the island, the Komet raised the war flag of the Kriegsmarine and sent a radio signal with the order to clear the piers and the oil storage. However, the crowd of curious did not disperse, a warning shot dispersed the islanders. After shelling, only ruins remained on the site of the port. The resulting fire destroyed a large pile of phosphorites, already purchased by the Japanese.
On August 25, 1942, the island of Nauru was captured by Japan and only liberated on September 13, 1945. During the Japanese occupation, 1,200 Nauruans were deported to Chuuk Island (English) (at that time it was called Truk) in the Caroline Islands archipelago, where 463 of them died. In January 1946, the surviving Nauruans returned to their homeland.
Since 1947, Nauru has become a UN Trust Territory, while continuing to be under the joint administration of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, up to 2 million tons of phosphorites were mined and exported annually, worth 24 million Australian dollars. 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 Nauru 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. Independence was proclaimed on January 31, 1968.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s in the American Trust Territory of Tycho oceanic islands proposals were made to create a single state on the territory of Micronesia and part of the islands of Polynesia, which was to include Nauru. However, these plans were not destined to come true, and the Trust Territory itself broke up into four states (Marshall Islands, Palau, Northern Mariana Islands And Federated States Micronesia).
Economy
The main source of income in Nauru is the export of high quality phosphate rock. Thanks to this, GDP per person is 13 thousand dollars. Approx. 2 million tons of phosphorites, and their reserves are rapidly depleted. Coconut trees are grown on the island. Developed fishing. The economy is largely dependent on the influx of labor from outside, mainly from neighboring countries. island states- 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, UK.
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.
In the Pacific Ocean, north and east of Australia and very close to the equator, is one of the richest countries in the world. Fabulously rich, but only in the past, because the heyday of this country fell on the 60-80s of the last century, when in terms of per capita income this distant island overtook the leading economies of the world.
This is the island-state of Nauru.
Sometimes this state is called the "Eaten Island", the history of which is very instructive and serves as an example of the fact that greed, stupidity and greed can destroy any prosperous community.
The history of Nauru is not much different from the stories of other oceanic islands. Until the beginning of the 20th century, nothing foreshadowed any dramatic changes in people's lives in Nauru - people lived the old fashioned way, fishing a little and growing pineapples, bananas, coconut palms, mangoes, papaya, breadfruit. The island itself is quite small, about 4 by 6 kilometers in size.
The population was a rather motley company - in the 19th century, the descendants of the Polynesians and Micronesians who inhabited the ocean islands since ancient times mixed with the descendants of fugitive Australian convicts and adventurers.
A turning point in the history of the state of Nauru was the discovery of a reserve of minerals on the island, namely phosphorites. (Phosphorites are very widely used in the production of phosphate fertilizers, in the chemical industry and in the production of washing powders, they were discovered on our island in 1906). After 1906, life on the island was in full swing. Judge for yourself: Nauru was annexed by the Germans, a little later captured by the Australians, who were expelled from the island by the Japanese at the beginning of World War II. After the war, the island was jointly administered by Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
And all these states tried to extract minerals from the bowels of the island. It got to the point that about 80% of the island's territory was somehow involved in the extraction of phosphates. I must say that the locals were not very opposed to this process. They were not particularly worried about the constantly deteriorating environmental situation - after all, residents were well paid for this.
In the 70s, per capita income exceeded 34 thousand dollars, the inhabitants of the island could afford to fly to Australia to the dentist and change cars once or twice a year. built on the island big airport and even railway. No one thought about education and about some other ways of earning money - why? The smartest little by little put aside money for the future and bought real estate in developed countries, and the majority firmly believed in the government, which said that "everything will be fine, we have created special funds and in a few years we will be able to live on the percentage of the invested funds."
Sooner or later, any fairy tale ends, even a happy one. Phosphorites ran out, funds were empty and several skyscrapers in Australia, which housed Naurian offices, had to be sold for debts. More than half of the island is occupied by quarries and the state cannot earn money from tourists. And people are accustomed to living in a big way and demand the impossible from the government, from where the island is constantly unstable, which, of course, does not add to Nauru's attractiveness in the eyes of investors. A few years ago, as a result of a sharp political confrontation between supporters of two presidential candidates, the presidential residence and communications center burned down. As a result of this incident, communication with the outside world was lost on the island for a couple of months. Most of The territory of the island-state now consists of quarries and looks like this:
The problems of the inhabitants of the island in this moment something reminiscent of the problems of our countries - the level of alcoholism is high and growing further, and so the small number of educated young people is getting smaller every year, and the level of corruption is going through the roof. Economically prosperous Taiwan once allocated about $100 million to Nauru to build an urban infrastructure of several hundred buildings, but only a few one-story houses were built with these funds.
The raw material economy has its pros and cons, and the main disadvantage is that sooner or later raw materials run out, but problems remain.
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. Exactly this small 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 managed 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.
Location of Nauru:: Sand 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 gone from being the richest country in the world (in the 1980s, average wages for local residents were four times those of US citizens) to 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. official capital he doesn't have. 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 nearby neighboring countries. If you don't have their visa, you're stuck here for a long time.
