Nauru, history of migrations on this Pacific island

At Geneafinder, we love stories that take us on a journey… all the way to an island lost in the heart of the Pacific.

For our article on the letter H, we had chosen to take you to the (now) deserted island of Hashima. In today's article, it's on the island of Nauru, right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that we are going. An island that unfortunately does not have a more glorious fate than the island of Hashima…

Life on Nauru before the 18th century

We told you, the island of Nauru is located right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, between the Hawaiian archipelago and Australia to be precise. Born a few million years ago, this piece of land is only 21km², making it one of the smallest countries in the world. It will become, a few years later, the second richest country in the world… but let's start at the beginning. 

It seems that the first inhabitants of Nauru Island were of Melanesian, Micronesian, and especially Polynesian origins. They would have then settled on the coast, neglecting the heart of the Nauruan plateau. There are more than a dozen coastal communities, as many districts, and 12 clans for a little over 1000 inhabitants. The islanders live well in Nauru, better than the inhabitants of the neighboring islands. They mainly live from fishing, milkfish aquaculture, and coconut harvesting.

The Arrival of the First Europeans in the 19th Century

The first Europeans arrive on the island of Nauru at the end of the 18th century, preceded by the British captain John Fearn on his whaling ship Hunter. The island is so resplendent and green that he names it Pleasant Island. He will meet the Nauruans, welcoming and unarmed. Proud of his discovery, the captain leaves and peaceful life on the island resumes its course. In 1830, the opening to the Western world with the arrival of Europeans will be rather brutal. The first to settle in Nauru are from the whaling industry and are mostly convicts, deserters from whalers, or vagabonds who bring with them their shares of firearms, alcohol, and other products that disrupt the surrounding calm. They will also bring many diseases that will decimate part of the island's population. These arrivals greatly disrupt the tranquility and stability of the island until the early 1880s when a tribal conflict, a civil war in other words, erupts, fueled by European merchants with personal interests. A few years later, the Germans will restore peace and exploit the coconut, as the Nauruans do. But this semblance of calm will not last long 

Between Phosphate Exploitation and World Wars in the 20th Century

The calm will last, in fact, until the New Zealander Albert Ellis discovers a large phosphate deposit, a very interesting fertilizer for agricultural development. So interesting that large European mining companies set up on the island to exploit the deposit, employing generally Chinese labor or from German colonies. This natural fertilizer is sold at gold prices in Western countries. 

In 1914, the island of Nauru, then a German colony, is attacked by the Allies and then annexed by Australia, fortunately without deadly combat. Until 1921, the island will be part of the British Territories of the Western Pacific, and phosphate exploitation will continue without hindrance. During World War II, the island will suffer both Japanese and German attacks before Japan takes full possession. On Nauru, phosphate activity will cease to be just a line of defense for the Japanese. The island will be bombed by the Americans, the inhabitants will be deported to work in the Truk Islands for the Japanese, and this time, many Nauruans will not survive.

At the end of the war, the management of Nauru will be entrusted to the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, who will quickly restart phosphate extraction. But living and working conditions are poor, and riots and repression multiply. The inhabitants demand more power and more royalties as well, since only a very small percentage of the proceeds from the exploitation come to them.

20th Century, from the Golden Age to Decline

The island becomes independent in January 1968, becomes the smallest republic in the world and enters a very favorable economic period. At the time, Nauru is the only island still able to exploit and export phosphate, as the reserves of neighboring islands are exhausted. The island's government nationalizes the mining companies and fully controls the mineral deposit. Nauru and the Nauruans enrich themselves to become the second richest country in the world in 1974 (in 2015, it is one of the three weakest economies in the world).

But in the early 1990s, resources run out and the country enters a serious financial crisis. Gone are the days when people didn't need to work, when the state provided television, air conditioning, and health care in addition to water and electricity. Money flowed freely… Poor management of the country's wealth and corruption drag the island into an infernal spiral. The State tries at all costs to reduce its expenses, bets everything on tourism and tries to attract large companies before falling into illegality by turning into a tax haven. Unfortunately, today the excesses of the past are very present: unemployment, high alcoholism rate, obesity and diabetes, and the life expectancy of the 12,000 inhabitants is much lower than that of Westerners (60 years on average).