Nauru History

History
This oval-shaped outcrop in the Central Pacific, west of Kiribati, is surrounded by a reef which is exposed at low tide. A century of phosphate mining has stripped 80 percent of the land area, and has left the central plateau infertile and unpopulated. The island has a fertile coastal strip.

The clan has been the traditional building block of Nauruan life, and electoral boundaries follow the clan boundaries. Clan names are of the utmost importance in doing Nauran family history work 

Timeline
1798 - Captain John Feam names it Pleasant Island 1870 - The 12 tribes of islanders have been at war and the population was decreased by one third 1888 - The Germans invaded Nauru. They make it a German protectorate along with Marshall Islands until 1914 1900 - A huge supply of phosphate is discovered and a London company begins shipping it to Australia 1914 - Australian warships wrest the island from Germany and it becomes a British-mandated territory. Phosphate mining continues, with thousands of tons of phosphate exported. Chinese laborers are brought in 1942 - The Japanese invade Nauru and deport 1200 native islanders to Truk Island for forced labor 1946 - The Japanese surrender and the British take over again 1951 - The Local Government Council is established. 1968 - Nauru wins full independence and becomes a special member of the British Commonwealth. 1996 - Due to financial need, Nauru begins to receive would-be refugees to Australia in exchange for payment

The world’s smallest republic, this oval-shaped outcrop in the Central Pacific, west of Resources available On the Internet, go to Familysearch.org. Choose the Library tab and then FamilySearch Catalog. Click on Place. Type in Nauru, and a list of current holdings for Nauru will be displayed.