René Harris
President

(pronounced "reh-NAY HAIR-ess")

"Our priorities are, in essence, to cut our losses and to maximize our human resources potential."

The Republic of Nauru (pronounced "NAH-roo") is distinctive in many ways. With an area of less than 22 sq km (little more than 8 sq mi), Nauru is the world's smallest independent nation. The single, tiny island lies 41 km (25 mi) south of the equator at a latitude of 0º south and a longitude of 167º east. On the inland side of the island, a coral cliff rises up to 300 m (less than 1000 ft) above sea level; this central plateau was the site of phosphate deposits. Due to its isolated location, birds nested on Nauru for thousands of years, leaving behind vast deposits of phosphate-rich guano. The island was once covered in dense tropical forest, but mining for phosphate during the...