Nauru is the world's third-smallest country by area and the smallest island nation on Earth — a single raised coral atoll just 21 square kilometers in the central Pacific Ocean. It is also one of the world's least-visited countries, accessible only by weekly flights from Brisbane, making it a destination for the genuinely curious and those who collect unusual corners of the map.
The island's history follows one of the most dramatic boom-and-bust trajectories in the Pacific. For much of the 20th century, Nauru sat atop one of the world's richest phosphate deposits, a resource formed over millions of years from seabird guano accumulating on the ancient coral island. During the 1970s and 80s, Nauru had one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, building an airline, investing in properties across Melbourne and Hong Kong, and creating a welfare state that eliminated income tax entirely. When the phosphate ran out, the economy collapsed with devastating speed. Today, large portions of the island's interior are a barren, lunar landscape of jagged coral pinnacles — the topset, the result of phosphate extraction that removed all the soil and vegetation from the plateau.
The contrast between this desolate interior and the island's narrow coastal fringe, where most of the 10,000 residents live, is striking. Coconut palms, flowering shrubs, and calm lagoon water line the coast while the gutted interior bakes in the tropical sun.
Buada Lagoon, a freshwater lake in the island's interior, is fed by runoff from the surrounding plateau and provides the only significant freshwater resource. It is surrounded by gardens, fishing shacks, and the only area of greenery in the interior.
Nauru's location in the world's largest ocean means the surrounding sea is remarkably pristine. Snorkeling and diving in the waters off Anibare Bay, the main beach area on the east coast, reveal healthy coral and clear water with good visibility.
The Nauruan culture is Micronesian in origin, with its own language and traditions centered around fishing and family. Noddy terns are a traditional food source and the frigate bird was historically kept as a status symbol and trained for fishing.
Visiting Nauru requires advance planning — accommodation is extremely limited. The best time to go is April through October, the slightly drier season.
