colony · North America and Oceania

Territory of Nauru

1920 CE – 1968 CE · capital Yaren

A tiny phosphate island administered by Australia for the British Empire, whose mining stripped most of its land before independence in 1968.

Origins

Germany had attached Nauru to its Marshall Islands Protectorate in 1888, and rich phosphate deposits were found in 1900. Australian forces took the island in 1914, and in 1920 the League of Nations granted a mandate to the British Empire, which Britain, Australia and New Zealand shared, with Australia administering it.

Rule and society

The British Phosphate Commissioners mined the island to supply cheap fertiliser to Australian and New Zealand farms, paying Nauruans small royalties. An administrator ruled with a council of chiefs. Japan occupied Nauru from 1942 to 1945 and deported about 1,200 Nauruans to Chuuk, where many died. After 1947 it was a United Nations trust territory, and proposals to resettle the population on Curtis Island in Queensland were rejected.

Decline and legacy

Led by Head Chief Hammer DeRoburt, Nauru became independent on 31 January 1968, and soon bought the phosphate industry. A case at the International Court of Justice over mining damage was settled by Australia in 1993.

Lineage

German New Guinea 1884 CE – 1914 CETerritory of Nauru

Connections (2)

Territory of Nauru was a colony of Commonwealth of Australia1920 CE – 1968 CE
Territory of Nauru was conquered by Empire of Japan1942 CE – 1945 CE

More states of North America and Oceania →

Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Territory of Nauru. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/territory-of-nauru
MLA: “Territory of Nauru.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/territory-of-nauru. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Territory of Nauru.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/territory-of-nauru.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Territory of Nauru’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/territory-of-nauru (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻