Nifty Nauru Trivia Quiz

Answer: No capital

Nauru has no capital and is the world's only independent republic not to have one. Yaren is the island's largest city with about 1,200 people. Yaren, and Aiwo, are often considered the capital, however. Honiara is the capital of the Solomon Islands and Noumea is the capital of the French holding of New Caledonia.

Answer: Phosphates

The mining of phosphates has almost completely destroyed the island of Nauru, about 4/5 of the land has been stripped and mined, and the phosphate reserves are nearly gone, leaving the Nauruans with little left to support themselves with. An Australian company began mining phosphate reserves at deeper levels than previously in 2006 and it's expected that these reserves may last thirty years.

Answer: Australian Dollar

The Pa'anga is the currency of Tonga, the Tuvaluan Dollar is the currency of Tuvalu. The Nauruan Rupee is a name I made up.

Answer: False

Actually, the flag is blue with a yellow line through the middle and there is a single, yellow star right below the yellow line. The twelve-pointed white star represents Nauru's location in the ocean right below the equator (the yellow line). The 12 points represent Nauru's twelve original tribes and the color white represents phosphate, which is very important to the economy.

Answer: 71 meters (233 feet)

Nauru's highest point is only 71 meters high and is called Command Ridge.

Answer: False

Tourism has not been helping the economy, because Nauru has few facilities to enable income generation. Also, there are only two hotels on the island.

Answer: True

Nauru has a dry season from March to October and a wet season from November to February. The average annual precipitation of 18 inches occurs mainly during the wet season. The yearly average temperature ranges from 73-93 degrees Fahrenheit.

Answer: True

Over 90% of the adult population is overweight, and even more worrying is that 40% of the population suffers from Type 2 Diabetes. Due to this phenomena, the life expectancy is actually falling, currently males expect to live to 58 years, while females 65 years. (Source: SPC Press Release May 14, 2006).

Answer: 31 January 1968

On January 31, 1968, the Nauruans declared independence from Australia. The independence movement began in 1964, and by 1966, Nauru was almost self-governing. In 1968, the UN granted Nauru indepdence and later on that year, it was granted Special Member Status within the British Commonwealth.

Answer: Buada

Buada is a brackish lagoon in the Buada district in the southeastern area of the island, it is situated on a plateau surrounded by coral cliffs. Ndogo is a lagoon in the southwest of Gabon, Marovo is the world's largest saltwater lagoon which is in the Solomon Islands, and Kotychi is a lagoon in Greece along the Ionian Sea.