Flag of Nauru

Nauru is an island in the South Pacific Ocean and is a sovereign state. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, as their language is unlike any other in the Pacific.

The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined in the early 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces during the First World War; Australia was, from that time on, mandated by the league of nations and then by the United Nations to administer it.