Ekamowir omo! Welcome to the “Pleasant Island”—Nauru!

A tiny oval-shaped island in Micronesia, located just south of the equator. There are around 13,000 people living here, making it one of the smallest sovereign states in the world. The official languages are Nauruan, a distinct Pacific language, and English, which is widely used for government and commerce.

Nauru covers only about 21 square kilometers (8 square miles). To imagine its size, the entire country is roughly one-tenth the size of Washington, D.C., or about the same size as a large international airport. It is the smallest island nation and the smallest independent republic on Earth. You can actually walk around the entire country in less than a day!

The most popular sports are Australian Rules Football (AFL)—which is a national obsession—and Weightlifting, where Nauruan athletes have won numerous medals at the Commonwealth Games. Their national animal is the Great Frigatebird, known for its impressive wingspan.

The flag consists of a dark blue field with a thin horizontal gold stripe across the middle and a white 12-pointed star below it, where the blue represents the Pacific Ocean, the gold stripe represents the Equator, and the 12-pointed star symbolizes the 12 original tribes of the island.

The food is a mix of local island staples and imported influences. You must try Coconut Fish, often made with fresh reef fish marinated in coconut milk and lime. Another local favorite is Fried Spicy Spam, which, like in many Pacific islands, has become a comfort food staple. Tropical fruits like coconut, pandanus, and papaya grow abundantly on the coast and are part of almost every meal.

Nauru is home to a unique landscape; the interior of the island is a plateau of jagged limestone pinnacles created by decades of phosphate mining. While the center of the island looks like another planet, the coastline is ringed by beautiful coral reefs and white sandy beaches. Interestingly, Nauru is one of the few countries in the world that does not have an official capital city, though the government offices are located in the Yaren District. Historically, Nauru was briefly the wealthiest country per capita in the world during the 1970s due to its vast phosphate deposits.

From the quiet shores of Anibare Bay to the high-energy AFL matches on the weekend, Nauru is a small island with a big heart and a fascinating history. Tubwa kor! That means “Thank you!”