Nauru

Photos

4 Photos
Satellite photo of Nauru vividly displays some of the prominent features of the island including roadways, the landing strip of the international airport in the south, and the Buada Lagoon in the southwest.
Nauru holds the distinction of being the third-smallest country in the world, the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside of Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the world's smallest independent republic.  Located 53 km (32 m) south of the Equator, Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy of the US Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program.
Bulk ore carrier loading phosphate on Nauru. Phosphate had been a major export commodity for Nauru, but production has declined significantly in recent years.
The phosphate ore loading piers on Nauru. Nauru has no natural or protected harbor. Phosphate mining was an important source of revenue for decades, but recent years have seen a significant decline production. Photo courtesy of NOAA/ Lieutenant Mark Boland
A view of the filling of a bulk carrier ship with phosphate at the piers at Nauru in 1999. Photo courtesy of NOAA / Mark Boland.