The Pleasant Island and its ancient roots
The phosphate gold rush and unimaginable wealth
The environmental cost and a moonscape interior
Modern Nauru and its curious quirks
YOUR GOAL
Master of The wild island of missing millions
schopenhauer Nauru's Mined Interior
They stripped the fertile soil away, leaving a moonscape of jagged stone.
schopenhauer A colorful, warm toned infographic shows Nauru's shift from farming to imported foods.
schopenhauer A classical fresco depicts Nauru's lush tropical forest shrinking next to barren mined land.
schopenhauer Guess surprising trivia to discover the unique history and quirky facts of tiny Nauru.
The Buada oasis: Buada Lagoon is Nauru's only fertile area, a beautiful freshwater oasis surrounded by palms amidst the otherwise mined-out interior.
A salt or ester of phosphoric acid, widely used in agricultural fertilizers. Beginning in 1906, intensive mining of this mineral stripped eighty percent of Nauru's land area.
What percentage of Nauru's total land area was left devastated by open-cast strip-mining?
What is the name of the unique Nauruan holiday celebrating the survival of its native population?
What are the towering, jagged limestone pillars left behind after Nauru's phosphate was mined?
What is the name of Nauru's only inland freshwater lake, which remains a fertile sanctuary?
Which international court did Nauru sue Australia in to demand compensation for mining damage?
What target population milestone was deemed necessary for survival and celebrated on Angam Day?
What do Nauruans call the raised, central plateau of the island where mining took place?
What health condition has surged in Nauru due to the loss of farmable land and reliance on imported food?