Flag of Nauru, different colours have different meanings. The blue signifies the Pacific Ocean with the yellow stripe being the equator; Nauru is located one degree below the equator, symbolized by the 12-pointed star, representing the island's twelve original tribes.
HISTORY AND ETYMOLOGY
The origin of the Nauruan term for the country, Naoero, is obscure. Most sources have speculated that it comes from the term anáoero, which means 'I go to the beach' in Nauruan, referring to the sandy terrain.
Settlement
Nauru was settled by the Micronesians and Polynesians on or before the 1st millennium BC. The twelve clans, as symbolized in the 12-pointed star, practised aquaculture rather than agriculture. Unlike the modern world, where your family status is defined by your father (e.g. surname), the Nauruan society at the time was matrilineal.
Western discovery and tribal war
The island was first visited by a whale hunter named John Fearn from Britain. The positive impression of the crew and Fearn led to a name for the island - Pleasant Island. Subsequently, through not only whale-hunting ships but also pirates, Nauruans advanced to understand the use of firearms and began to consume palm wine.
Western influence was mostly positive but one incident led to the Nauruan Civil War. Out of rage, a Westerner shot a tribal chief during a wedding, and since the attendees were all intoxicated by alcohol, people started shooting at others at random and a civil war began. It lasted for ten years from 1878 to 1888 with a lack of result until the German Empire stepped in and ended the war all and for once.
From left to right: A civil warrior and the annexation ceremony of the German Empire.
The World Wars and independence
After the German annexation, the British explorers discovered phosphate and subsequent mining began. Following the World War I, where the British and the Germans were rivals rather than allies, the Australians occupied the island with success. This was later converted into a League of Nations mandate after German surrender ruled under the British monarch King George V.
World War II came after where history repeated itself. The Germans shelled the mining operations of the British and sank supply ships in the vicinity of Nauru in 1940; the Japanese invaded and occupied Nauru two years later. Once again, the island was turned into a United Nations trusteeship after Japanese surrender ruled under Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
A constitutional convention was held in the mid-1960s to assist the independence of Nauru following the decline of imperial power around the world. Eventually, led by the founding president Hammer DeRoburt, the Republic of Nauru was finally independent on 31 January 1968.
From left to right: Japanese burning of oil tanks in 1942 during invasion and the flag shown on the day of independence.
Aftermath
After independence, Nauru has flourished into a prosperous state. However, the phosphate mining of the past has still taken its toll in Nauru. Due to the prolonged mining by the British and Nauruans themselves (after purchasing the mining company), 70% of the already small nation's land was left uninhabitable and unavailable of agriculture.
CURRENCY AND COINS
Starting from the German and British colonization, Nauru has followed the currency of the owner of its land. As previously mentioned, Australia was a part of the post-World War II trusteeship and interfered the most out of Great Britain and New Zealand. As a consequence to the colonial past, Nauru adopts the Australian dollar as its currency.
Alike other Oceanian states like Niue, Nauru made increasingly more commemorative coins starting from the late 1990s in order to stimulate the economy. Although they are legal tender in Nauru, they are almost never seen in circulation due to its purpose.
All coins of Nauru are issued by the Bank of Nauru, owned by the state, with the coins always bearing the coat of arms of the Republic of Nauru.
Nauruan coin with its crest.
© Image courtesy of Coin Invest
*De jure means by law. The largest settlement and the seat of parliament are located in Yaren District.
Nauru
