Introduction
Nauru, the world's smallest republic, was once a wealthy player in the Pacific, made rich by the stocks of guano found on the island and the deposits of phosphates mined from it. The deep, ugly pits still stand on the scarred central plateau as testament to the industry, even though the country has been mined-to-exhaustion.
The island's traditional culture has been subsumed by the focus on phosphate and many of the original skills lost. However, visitors can still relax at Anibore Bay, where the island's best beach can be found, go deep-sea fishing from Yaren or explore the World War II relics and Japanese guns at Narau's government offices.
