Nauru - Pleasant Island? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Micronesia

Micronesia is a region within Oceania, and is made up of thousands of islands. Apart from the Republic of Nauru, there are four other sovereign countries in the region: the Federated State of Micronesia, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

There are also two United States territories in Micronesia: Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Answer: Kiribati

Nauru is located at 0°32′ South and 166°56′ East. That means that it is only 42 kilometres south of the Equator. As determined in the question, the closest Kiribati island is 300 kilometres away to the east. The nearest of the Marshall Islands is 974 kilometres away to the northeast, the Federated States of Micronesia is 1,271 kilometres northwest, and it is 3,701 kilometres east to Palau.

Answer: 21 square kilometres

Despite its incredibly small size, the island country is still divided into 14 administrative districts. At one point there were 169 separate villages on the island, but the island's phosphate mining operations left much of the island uninhabitable. The population is spread out along the coastal strip, essentially making one continuous settlement around the edge of the whole island.

Nauru also qualifies as the smallest republic in the world.

Answer: Yaren

Nauru has no official capital city. In fact, Nauru has no official cities at all. The Yaren district, by virtue of the fact that the Parliament House is there, has come to be recognized by the United Nations as the 'official district' of Nauru.

Answer: The 12 indigenous tribes of the island

The Nauruan flag was adopted on the date of Nauru's independence (from UN trusteeship) on January 31, 1968. The flag's design is very representative of Nauru's geographical location, as well as having a little more symbolism. The golden stripe represents the equator, while the blue field is the Pacific Ocean. The white star represents Nauru's position in relation to the equator, as well as the significance associated with the 12 points and the indigenous tribes. It is white to represent the importance of the economy based on phosphate mining.

Answer: 80%

Phosphate extraction began on Nauru in 1906 when it was under control by the German Empire. Following World War I, phosphate mining continued under the governance of the UN trusteeship (administered by the U.K., Australia and New Zealand).

An incredible 80% of the island's surface is essentially uninhabitable, which is one of the reasons that the population of Nauru is almost exclusively in that narrow band of fertile land that rings the island along the coast.

The effects of the mining also adversely affected Nauru's exclusive fishing zone, with estimates of 40% of the marine life having been killed off due to phosphate and silt runoff.

Answer: Command Ridge

Whether it was named for the 'military command' that held that place, or for the commanding view that the high feature offered is unclear, but the point certainly bears historical significance. There are still remnants of the Japanese military presence to be found there, including some rusted cannons and a communications bunker.

Answer: 1,500 people

The population of Nauru has never been extremely high, and as recently as July, 2011, the population was less than 10,000. After that epidemic in 1920 it took twelve years for the population to build back up to 1,500 people. The 1,500th person was a girl named Eidegenegen Eidagaruwo.

During World War II the population again dipped below 1,500, and as long as it remained so, Angam Day was not celebrated. After the Japanese withdrawal, it was not until March 31st of 1949 that 1,500 was reached again with the birth of Bethel Enproe Adam. Since then, Angam Day has again been celebrated (on the original October 26th).

Answer: Australia

Nauru has used Australian currency since Australian troops took the island from the Germans in 1914 (even though the British took administrative control at that point until 1920). That said, the Australian Dollar was only officially adopted by the Republic of Nauru on May 25th of 2013.

Answer: False

Without a viable economy since the end of (any significant) phosphate mining on the island of Nauru, unemployment on the island topped 90%, and the country has relied on relief monies from other countries, as well as seeking other means to bring money in. For a time, Nauru housed refugees that were seeking asylum in Australia, for which Australia paid them. I can't say what the solution for Nauru's economic woes are, but suffice it to say, Nauru can no longer live up to its former 'Pleasant Island' moniker.