Two of the twelve tribes honored on Nauru's flag are extinct.
Chapter 1

The Pleasant Island and its ancient roots

Chapter 2

The phosphate gold rush and unimaginable wealth

Chapter 3

The environmental cost and a moonscape interior

Chapter 4

Modern Nauru and its curious quirks

YOUR GOAL

Master of The wild island of missing millions

Ch 1 · The Pleasant Island and its ancient roots
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schopenhauer Nauruan hunters practice the ancient art of catching noddy birds.

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schopenhauer The Pleasant Island of Naoero

Drop the old name, reclaim the past, call it Naoero!

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Two of the twelve tribes honored on Nauru's flag are extinct.

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schopenhauer The history of the twelve traditional tribes of Nauru

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The ancient art of bird catching

schopenhauer A hunter stands on a high Nauruan ridge holding a long pole net

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The twelve tribes of Nauru

schopenhauer Luminous Renaissance frescoes depict maternal figures representing the twelve traditional tribes of Nauru

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Tiny Lagoon Farmers
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schopenhauer Stock the Buada Lagoon with milkfish to discover Nauru's traditional fish-farming secrets.

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Fun Fact

Nauru's flag design: The yellow stripe represents the equator, and the white star sits exactly where Nauru is located—just one degree south of it.

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Glossary
nauru (noun)
A tiny island country in Micronesia, situated in the central Pacific Ocean. British captain John Fearn first charted the territory in 1798, praising its lush vegetation and friendly inhabitants.

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Gossip

Which traditional Nauruan activity would you try first?

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Quiz

What does the horizontal yellow stripe on Nauru's national flag represent?

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schopenhauer The tiny island nation of Nauru sits isolated in the Pacific.

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Quiz

How was lineage traditionally traced in Nauru's ancient clan system?

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schopenhauer Captain John Fearn encounters the lush island of Nauru

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Quiz

What is the total land area of the island nation of Nauru?

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Quiz

Which bird is traditionally hunted by Nauruans using long poles with nets at dusk?

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Quiz

Which fish did early Nauruans traditionally farm in the inland Buada Lagoon?

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Quiz

How many original indigenous tribes of Nauru are represented by the points on the national flag's star?

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Quiz

Which British captain sighted Nauru in 1798 and named it 'Pleasant Island'?

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Quiz

What was the name of the whaling ship commanded by John Fearn when he sighted Nauru?

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