25 Fascinating Facts About Nauru, the World's Smallest Island Nation

Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world by land area, at just 21 square kilometers (8.1 square miles) — smaller than every country except Vatican City and Monaco.

Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, meaning no other sovereign country made up entirely of islands is smaller.

Nauru sits in Micronesia in the Central Pacific Ocean, just south of the Equator, with Kiribati to the east and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west.

Nauru has no standing armed forces of its own; Australia provides for its defense under an informal agreement between the two countries.

Nauru's population is roughly 10,000 to 12,000 people, making it one of the smallest countries in the world by population, behind Vatican City and Tuvalu.

Nauruan is the official language, though English is widely used in government, business, and education.

Nauru gained independence on January 31, 1968, after periods of German, British, Australian, and (during World War II) Japanese administration.

Phosphate mining once powered Nauru's economy. Rich phosphate deposits, formed from millennia of seabird guano, made Nauru briefly one of the wealthiest countries per capita in the world during the 1970s.

Decades of phosphate strip-mining left much of Nauru's interior a barren field of jagged limestone pinnacles, badly damaging the land's ability to support agriculture.

With phosphate reserves largely depleted, Nauru today depends heavily on foreign aid and financial support, particularly from Australia.

Nauru joined the United Nations on September 14, 1999.

Nauru's government is a parliamentary republic: the President is both head of state and head of government, chosen by and from a 19-seat unicameral Parliament.

Nauru has no single official capital city; Yaren District, home to the parliament and government offices, functions as the de facto seat of government.

Nauru is one of the least-visited countries on Earth, receiving only a few hundred tourists in a typical year due to limited flights and tourist infrastructure.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) is Nauru's official currency; the country has never issued its own currency.

Nauru has a hot, humid tropical climate, with average temperatures around 30°C (86°F) year-round.

Nauru has a monsoonal wet season (roughly November to February) and a drier season for the rest of the year.

Command Ridge, Nauru's highest point, rises about 65 meters (213 feet) above sea level and offers panoramic views across the island.

Nauru is home to an endemic bird, the Nauru reed warbler (Acrocephalus rehsei), one of only two native land birds on the island.

Nauru has no permanent rivers or streams; residents depend on rainwater catchment and desalination for fresh water.

Nauru's remote location and limited radio traffic make it a sought-after destination for amateur ('ham') radio operators aiming to contact all the world's territories.

Nauru has competed at the Summer Olympics since 1996, fielding athletes mainly in weightlifting, but has not yet won a medal.

Nauru's national flag features a 12-pointed gold star on a blue field crossed by a yellow horizontal stripe: the star's points represent the country's 12 original tribes, the blue represents the Pacific Ocean, and the yellow line marks Nauru's position just south of the Equator.

Nauru's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) covers about 320,000 square kilometers (123,500 square miles) of ocean — over 15,000 times the country's land area — giving it rights to a vast area of marine resources.

Nauru has among the highest rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the world, linked to a diet heavy in imported processed food and limited access to fresh produce.