Population: 12,088 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

Background: Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied by Australian forces in World War I. Upon achieving independence in 1968, Nauru became the smallest independent republic...

Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD, AUD (AU$0.93 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.