Nauru is minuscule. At its widest point, the pacific island only measures 3.5 miles across.
With fewer than 9,400 residents, it is also the second smallest country by population, beaten only by the Vatican City.
Despite its small size and remote location, Nauru is no stranger to conflict. In 1878, a
disagreement at a wedding escalated into a decade-long civil war that killed 500 people — roughly a third of the population.
The country was taken over by the Germans before World War I, liberated by Australia during the war, taken over by the Japanese in World War II, and then liberated again at the end of the war.
Nauru's historical chief export has given it a not-so-flattering nickname, "Bird S--- Island." Thousands of years of bird droppings meant that until recently, the
country could rely on its phosphate reserves to keep the economy going.
However, corruption, poor planning, falling prices, and depleted reserves mean that Nauru increasingly depends on foreign aid. Countries like Australia, Russia, and China all compete to buy its diplomatic support internationally.
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