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History of Nauru
From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Nauru.
Overview
The island was allocated to Germany under the 1886 Anglo-German Convention. Phosphate was discovered a decade later and the Pacific Phosphate Company started to exploit the reserves in 1906, by agreement with Germany. Following the outbreak of World War I, the island was captured by Australian forces in 1914. After the war the League of Nations gave Britain, Australia, and New Zealand a trustee mandate over the territory. The three governments established the British Phosphate Commissioners, who took over the rights to phosphate mining.
During World War II Japan occupied Nauru in August 1942 and deported 1,200 Nauruans to work as laborers in the Caroline Islands, where 463 died. The survivors returned to Nauru in January 1946.
After the war the island became a UN Trust Territory under Australia, in line with the previous League of Nations mandate, and it remained one until independence in 1968. A plan by the partner governments to resettle the Nauruans (because of disappearing phosphate and damage to the island caused by extensive mining) on Curtis Island, off the north coast of Queensland, Australia, was abandoned in 1964 when the islanders decided to stay put. In 1967, the Nauruans purchased the assets of the British Phosphate Commissioners and in June 1970 control passed to the Nauru Phosphate Corporation. Nauru became an independent republic in 1968.
In 1989 Nauru filed suit against Australia in the International Court of Justice in The Hague for damages caused by mining while the island was under Australian jurisdiction. Australia settled the case out of court in 1993, agreeing to pay A$107 million (U.S.$85.6 million) and to assist Nauru with environmental rehabilitation.
Historical Eras
The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.
Prehistoric & Tribal
1000 – 1798
Nauru was settled by Micronesian and Polynesian peoples, likely around 1000 CE, who organized into 12 distinct tribes sharing the small coral island. Society was governed by clan structures and largely peaceful coexistence, with the population reaching approximately 1,400 by the mid-19th century. The island remained almost entirely isolated from outside contact until European navigators arrived in the late 18th century.
European Contact
1798 – 1888
British navigator Captain John Fearn named the island Pleasant Island in 1798, and from the 1830s whalers and traders introduced firearms and alcohol, destabilizing the traditionally peaceful tribal order. A devastating inter-tribal war erupted in 1878 and lasted a decade, reducing the population from roughly 1,400 to around 900. The 1886 Anglo-German Convention assigned Nauru to the German sphere of influence.
German Colonial Rule
1888 – 1914
Germany formally annexed Nauru in 1888 as part of the Marshall Islands Protectorate, imposing colonial administration and ending inter-tribal conflict. Phosphate was discovered around 1900, and by 1906 the Pacific Phosphate Company, operating under an agreement with Germany, had begun systematic extraction of the island's vast phosphate reserves. This resource would define Nauru's economic and political trajectory for over a century.
Mandate Period
1914 – 1968
Australian forces seized Nauru in 1914, and after World War I the League of Nations granted Britain, Australia, and New Zealand a joint trusteeship, with the British Phosphate Commissioners controlling mining revenues. Japan occupied the island from 1942 to 1945, deporting 1,200 Nauruans to the Caroline Islands, of whom 463 perished. After the war Nauru became a UN Trust Territory under Australian administration until independence was achieved in January 1968.
Independence & Phosphate Wealth
1968 – 1995
Nauru became the world's smallest independent republic in 1968, and in 1970 the Nauru Phosphate Corporation assumed full control of mining operations, generating extraordinary per-capita wealth during the 1970s and 1980s. The government invested heavily in overseas assets through the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, though widespread mismanagement eroded these reserves. In 1993 Australia settled Nauru's International Court of Justice claim for mining damages, paying A$107 million in compensation and rehabilitation assistance.
Economic Crisis & Modern Era
1995 – present
Phosphate reserves neared exhaustion by the mid-1990s, and the collapse of trust fund investments plunged Nauru into severe financial crisis. To generate revenue, the government controversially hosted Australian offshore asylum-seeker processing facilities from 2001 onward, a role that drew sustained international scrutiny. Nauru joined the United Nations in 1999 and continues efforts to rehabilitate its mined landscape and diversify its economy amid ongoing environmental and fiscal challenges.
Timeline Preview
The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.
1798
British navigator Captain John Fearn names it Pleasant Island.
British navigator Captain John Fearn, sailing past Nauru from New Zealand to the China Seas, names it Pleasant Island.
1888
Nauru annexed by Germany as part of the Marshall Islands Protectorate.
Nauru annexed by Germany as part of the Marshall Islands Protectorate.
1900
British company discovers phosphate on the island.
British company discovers phosphate on the island.
1906
Phosphate mining begins. Britain divides profits with German firm.
Phosphate mining begins. Britain divides profits with German firm.
1914
Nauru seized by Australian troops.
Nauru seized by Australian troops.
1942 – 1945
Nauru occupied by the Japanese.
Nauru occupied by the Japanese. Some 1,200 Nauruans - two-thirds of the population - deported to Micronesia to work as forced labourers. Five hundred die from starvation or bombing.
1967
Nauruans gain control of phosphate mining.
Nauruans gain control of phosphate mining.