Nauru's Reliance on Bird Droppings for Wealth Led to Near Collapse
We've tasted all the lacquer, just to present a different history.
Talking about island nations, everyone will probably first think of Japan and Singapore, because these two countries are indeed 'small island nations', but they have developed into developed countries through their own efforts, and now they are also well-known in the world. However, Ziyuan wants to introduce a different island nation to everyone – it is different from Japan and Singapore, which are famous for their economic development. It is famous because it became famous 'out of nowhere'
▲Nauru Stone Beach scenery
This country is located in the Micronesia Islands in the South Pacific, Nauru, known as 'Paradise Island'. Its area is only 24 square kilometers, which is the smallest island nation in the world. Starting in 1978, Nauru has been occupied by the UK, Germany, Japan and Australia. It was not until 1968 that it achieved independence. In its early days, Nauru was not short of food and clothing because of its rich phosphate rock reserves. Phosphate is a necessary ingredient and functional additive for food processing. In 1978, British captain John Fen discovered Nauru and its abundant phosphate deposits. Subsequently, British colonists began phosphate mining activities on the island. During World War II, Nauru was unfortunately occupied by Japan. The Japanese soldiers stationed on the island also mined phosphate and built a large military base.
▲Phosphate rock mining left exposed beaches
After World War II, the wave of national independence swept the world, and many colonies around the world achieved independence, including Nauru. In 1968, Nauru successfully achieved independence, and two years later, Nauru redeemed the assets of the Phosphate Company to the UK, and the phosphate rock mining rights returned to the hands of Nauruan citizens. Due to long-term colonial rule and war damage, Nauru's post-independence economic development was lagging behind. To quickly develop its economy, Nauru's government decided to mobilize the entire country to mine phosphate rocks. However, Nauru has a small population and a shortage of labor, so the mining efficiency is not ideal. In desperation, Nauru had to import a large number of foreign workers to mine phosphate rocks. Soon, the population of this small island nation soared from 3,000 to 30,000. Under the tireless mining of foreign workers, Nauru's phosphate rock production reached tens of thousands of tons per year. Nauru's economy developed rapidly, and its GDP per capita was once the highest in the world. Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world.
▲Nauruan workers resting by the roadside
As the saying goes, 'it's easy to go from poverty to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to poverty'. After the Nauruan people suddenly became rich after a long period of poverty, they began to spend recklessly, not only building airports within a small area, but also buying a large number of airplanes and building luxurious golf courses and ring-island highways. In addition to this, the suddenly rich Nauruan people began to eat and waste, no longer working themselves, and entrusted many jobs to foreign workers. They did not realize that even the most abundant resources would eventually be depleted. Due to reckless mining, Nauru's phosphate rock resources quickly depleted, and the prosperity of the Nauruan people ended. Since 2005, Nauru has started to accept Australian aid, and now the basic living of this island nation depends on the United Nations' assistance.
▲Poor Nauruan people
More sadly, the reckless mining also caused Nauru's average altitude to decrease by more than 10 meters over ten years. Coupled with global climate change and the melting of polar ice caps, sea levels around the world are rising rapidly, Nauru is at risk of being submerged. Moreover, Nauru's land has been severely eroded by sea waves, and Nauru's land area has been shrinking, currently only 21 square kilometers. If this shrinking continues, Nauru Island will probably disappear from the earth in a short time.
▲Nauru Island panorama
In the face of such difficulties, Nauru's government has no choice but to choose to relocate the entire country. Given its proximity to Australia and its sparsely populated territory, it has become the first choice for Nauruan people. At the beginning of this century, Nauru's government built a skyscraper in Australia to accommodate the entire population, hoping that when the country collapsed, this building would be their home. Looking back at Nauru's rise and fall, it is truly sighing and lamenting.
Reference:
'The Land of the Kings: Nauru'
