Lucky Nauru
p. 52 · Read in the full issue
TTHE little Central Pacific island of Nauru, 5,400 acres, probably is the richest independent territory in the world. About 1,650 native inhabitants are being looked after by a British admini stration, which has almost more money than it knows what to do with.
The secret, of course, is phosphate.
Nauru is an island of phosphate, worth an incalculable amount. The natives are regarded as the owners of the land.
On December 31, 1936, Nauru (admini stered jointly by Britain. Australia, and New Zealand under mandate) had an ac cumulated surplus of £30,477. The Ad ministration also held £31,546 on beha 1 f of native Nauruan landowners, received mostly from royalties paid on the export of phosphate. During 1936, phosphate worth £469,607 (547,400 tons) was ex ported. There were, in Nauru on Decem ber 31, 1,647 Nauruans, 179 Europeans, and 1,092 indentured Chinese labourers.
The Nauruans, since 1927, have increased about 30 per cent in numbers.