Nauru, IN FACT, is a Country With No Capital City
According to the World Atlas, Nauru is a country without capital. Yes, some resources call Yaren the capital of the nation, but this totally isn’t accurate. The island is simply an independent country in Oceania. The official name of this country is the Republic of Nauru, an island nation of Micronesia in the South Pacific.
The Territory
With an area of only 21 km2, Nauru is the smallest country in Oceania. It’s also one of the smallest countries in the world. Indeed, the country is the third smallest one, just above Vatican City and the Principality of Monaco.
With a view from above, the nation is an oval-shaped island that locates in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 42 km south of the Equator. Indeed, the flag of Nauru is no different than a map to determine its position in the middle of the Pacific Ocean: a yellow line denoting the Equator, and a white star is the Nauru island. The island is surrounded by corals, which are exposed during low tide and scattered at high tide.
Based on World Atlas, being a small country in terms of area and population, Nauru has no capital city, nor does it have a city. In fact, the nation has no official capital. Yaren is just a district located on the south bank of the island, where important buildings are located. That’s where you’ll find the National Parliament House, the Australian High Commission, the Embassy of the Republic of China, and the Nauru International Airport.
In reality, the island nation is so small that the airport’s runway spans most of the territory. The nation’s official airline once landed the only plane at the airport, until 2005 when Australian creditors seized the plane.
The Humans of Nauru
Although it is a small country, the territory of Nauru was inhabited from a very early age. Particularly, the Micronesians and Polynesians lived on the island for at least 3,000 years. The country has 12 clans, represented by 12-star wings on its flag.
Around 1830, the local people came into contact with Europeans. By 1888, the country’s territory was annexed by the Germans. After being colonized by Germany, the country continued to be occupied by Japan during the Second World War. In 1947, the United Nations established a mandate at Nauru, which was autonomous in January 1966. The nation island became an independent country in 1968.
Today, the country now has about 13,000 people, which is the second least populated country in the world, just over Vatican City with roughly 850 citizens. Unfortunately, the residents are facing a high rate of obesity, which is a result of processed foods imported from Europe that have become more popular over the past few years.
How Did Nauru Become Poor?
When claiming independence in 1968, Nauru was once the richest country in the world with abundant phosphate reserves from fossils of bird droppings. Nevertheless, its economy later collapsed when it ran out of guano. Today, the unemployment rate in this island nation is up to 90%.
How to Visit Nauru?
There are 2 main ways that visitors can travel to the country:
| By Airplane | By Boat |
|---|---|
| – Approximate 5-hour flight from Brisbane, Australia with Nauru Airlines. – About 3 hours 40 minutes from Nadi, Fiji. – Flights from other places around South Pacific. | – Taking boats to depart from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. Yet, this way of transportation is not recommended as it’s unsafe. |
Reference
- WorldAtlas, updated Nov 2020, Maps of Nauru. [online] https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/nauru [Accessed 28 Mar. 2021].
PIN THIS POST NOW TO SAVE THE FACTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAURU – THE COUNTRY WITHOUT CAPITAL
Khoi Nguyen
Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.
24 Comments
-
-
Khoi Nguyen
You’re welcomed!
I just made this series to share the info of special destinations and events around the world with their facts.
-
-
Kuntala
Oh wow. You know, I had no idea that this place even existed. This was a very intresting read.
-
Khoi Nguyen
Thanks for your comment!
My [IN FACT] series will even bring to you more interesting posts like this.
-
-
-
Khoi Nguyen
It’s actually an interesting destination, isn’t it?
-
-
Olivia Robins
wow i never knew that!! no capital city? i , but then again its so small yet beautiful – who needs a capital city anyway kind regards Pati robins @ style squeeze blog
-
Khoi Nguyen
Yeah this country is so beautiful and wild that it doesn’t need a capital city for travelers haha.
-
-
Ntensibe Edgar
Wow….the things you learn on blogs!!! I’m hearing of Nauru for the very first time and it’s a country I want to visit….be in a country without a capital city, for once!
-
Khoi Nguyen
You will like this country when traveling there.
-
-
Gunel Ibadova
I haven’t heard about this island. How many wonderful places we don’t know. Thanks for sharing Nauru Island with us 🙂
-
Khoi Nguyen
You’re welcomed! And don’t forget to check our [IN FACT] series for more interesting travel facts.
-
-
Benita McLaurin
I love to travel! So this could be on my bucket list for sure. I like to visit places where no one visits, to be honest, I never even heard of this country. Hopefully after COVID, I will be able to visit Oceania and go to the little islands around there. Thanks for sharing!
-
Khoi Nguyen
There are interesting travel facts that gonna be on my [IN FACT] series that you will love to check out.
They serve your preference too.
-
-
My Haute Talk
I had never heard of Nauru Island. I bet it is nice and relaxing. Thank you for the great information.
-
Khoi Nguyen
Glad that you like the info! And don’t forget to check our [IN FACT] series for more interesting travel facts.
-
-
-
Khoi Nguyen
Thanks for your comment!
-
-
emman damian
OMG! I didn’t know that! What an interesting fact. I heard about this country before but didn’t know it doesn’t have capital city.
-
Khoi Nguyen
Will you plan to visit this country to discover more?
-
-
Anosa Malanga
I only know little information about Nauru and I only learn now that it has no Capital. I would love to visit this place in the future too.
-
Khoi Nguyen
It’s a great place for a great trip certainly!
-
-
Sara | mshealthesteem.com
I’ve never heard of Nauru before! Thank you for sharing it with us. I’d love to visit someday!
-
Khoi Nguyen
You will have a great trip there.
-
Cristina Petrini
A place in the world that I don’t even know but it really hit me. Thanks for your post!