Phosphate Fields and Commander Hill

And most of the interior of the island is stripped phosphate mines, which remains uninhabited. Most of the citizens live around the circumference of the island. Walking amongst the stripped phosphate fields, I felt a hint of embarrassment and sorrow for the Nauruan people. They greatly exploited their country resources, with the assistance of Australia, Germany, Brittan, et al, until there wasn’t any left. Now the stripped phosphate mines are like a scars from a self-inflicted wound, regretfully reminding them of much better economic times.

During World War I, the island was occupied by Australian forces and became a dependent territory. Briefly occupied by Japan during WWII, Nauru was recovered by Australia afterwards and achieved independence in 1968. Many of the Japanese war remnants like bunker and missile launchers still exist on the island today and can be visited.