Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
A country you've never heard of (continued)
Here's a bit more about Nauru, the third smallest country in the world, for readers who were intrigued by my post from last week on it.Curiously, there are plenty of immigrants who've made it to Nauru (of all places!). Australians work as doctors and engineers, the Chinese run the restaurants and shops, and Polynesian immigrants hold the rest of the jobs. In total, 4,000 out of the 12,000 inhabitants are foreigners. That was fine when phosphate paid the locals' bills. But now nine in ten natives are overweight and unemployed. One in two has diabetes. And one in three kids have never received any schooling; those who do well in academics inevitably leave the country. Perhaps it's no wonder that the most popular event of the past few years was a "Big is Beautiful" beauty pageant. Aside from that, the most popular pastime seems to be driving around the island's eleven miles of roads drinking beers.
Ironically, when a British captain discovered the place in 1798, he named it "Pleasant Island". Over the next 150 years, Westerners decimated the local population through disease, civil war (they gave firearms to the twelve local clans and encouraged them to kill each other), colonization, and of course, phosphate mining. By the end of World War II, there were only 600 Nauruans left and two-thirds of the phosphate was already gone. But with independence in 1968, the government lavished money on everyone, along with luxuries like three television channels, a golf course, and free health care. In the 1990s, all that disappeared along with the phosphate.
But there's also plenty of rich history here, in particular, the legacy of environmental exploitation and how that has led to their plight today. While their neighbors have adjusted to globalization, Nauruans are still trying to make something out of their eight-square-mile speck of land.
Filed under: Nauru
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
john Jan 4th 2008 9:52AM
Typical article on AOL.... they tell you the 3rd smallest country and then neglect to say what the smallest and the 2nd smallest country is.
When I took Journalism in High School, I was taught better even then!
wishiwascanadian Jan 4th 2008 9:58AM
i happen to agree with gina. just cause y'all have been brainwashed since birth into actually beleiving that the us is the greatest country on earth does not make it a fact. i don't think she was implying that the us is the worst country on earth either, where the hell are you guys getting that? she is just stating the facts the us is a bully and will lie cheat and steal from anyone including it's own citizens. and if you dare stand in it's way? well then it will create some kind of mass spread lie about you. i.e after 9/11 actually getting people to believe that Sadaam was working with Osama. If Americans weren't so goddamn stupid they would have seen right through this lie. Osama and Sadaam didn't even share the same beliefs and to suggest that they were working together is preposterous. oh and btw, the us government is to blame for 9/11. all the evidence that has since been hushed hushed points to it. maybe one day all y'all dumb americans will see the light when what the us does affects you. then again you're so brainwashed and ignorant that i doubt it. in case y'all are wondering i am a us citizen but no longer "proud to be american"
MAE Jan 4th 2008 10:29AM
AND WHY HAVEN'T YOU LEFT YET?
Dee Jan 4th 2008 11:43AM
Could not agree with you more.. well put
james gary Jan 4th 2008 1:16PM
here is another one who suffers from Gina's disease, there must be something in the water in some places for all this self hatred in our society
james gary Jan 4th 2008 1:20PM
mr. there are planes leaving everyday for these wonderful places other than america, get on one of them before you suffer something terminal
Lee Jan 4th 2008 1:30PM
Glad your not really an American anymore, just a citizen. Your claim that the evidence of 9/11 has been hushed hushed shows your ignorance. I and tens of thousands of others worked intensively to get to the true about 9/11. I was working to negate the terrorism threat long before 9/11 happened.You call all Americans dumb, try looking in the mirror pal. It is because of people like you that people like me didn't have the tools to prevent 9/11. Thank God that President Bush has been somewhat able to give the people who now do that work better tools to do their job. But more needs to be done . This country is the last great hope of the world. If and when this country falls (it won't happen overnight) and the far out radical nuts like you come to power, there is no other country that is able to stand against fundamental radicals out there. We will not fall because of outside enemies, if we fall it be because of people like you.
You are a nut and I also wish you were canadian
Tom Jan 4th 2008 1:57PM
to you and all others who dislike the US, WHY NOT LEAVE? If we are so bad I think you might be able to find many other countries who would welcome you and then you would not have the problem of being an American. I agree you have the right to disagree with the government but I also think you should act on your feelings or get lost. Work on the problems in a real way, make it a better country but don't be lead by fear mongers or talking heads into thinking we are all part of a grand plan to take until there is nothing left. I feel we should all take a moment to think about what many belive to be facts, that our current government is so SMART as to be able to weave a story that billions belive and only a few doubt. That is like saying Bush is the smartest prez ever. I hope you think about that, if he is smart enough to do that why would he not just have the CIA whack all the doubters? You folks give the government to much credit, they are just trying to do what they belive is best for them and their buddies and make it look good to the rest of us. That goes for all parties as well, not one prez has stood up FOR THE PEOPLE as the should for many decades its all just good TV!!!!!!!!!!
Emlee Lage Jan 4th 2008 3:00PM
Are you nuts? You must be to buy into that story that The US is to blame for 9/11. Anyone who has ever been involved in investigating hot fires will tell you that steel melts and even evaporates.
Thor Jan 4th 2008 10:09AM
I'm so terrified of being made into a lampshade.
Jim Sole Jan 4th 2008 10:12AM
Well, wishiwascanadian, Canada is not really that far away and since you are no longer proud to be an American, why don't you do something about it, because Canada's loss would be America's gain!!!
Larry Bowler Jan 4th 2008 10:25AM
Small island nations are suffering the same fate as small town America - brain drain and income loss.
But some islands are getting a little bit creative (as exemplified in the Internet Evolution article- http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=524&doc_id=138510 )
Though this particular initiative (which includes providing free internet to the entire nation of Tokelau) comes with it's own slew of problems.
pursvll Jan 4th 2008 10:35AM
wishiwascanadian, get your a-- out of the us if you don't like what's going here. people like you should go and live in the other countries that don't have the freedom you have here. here you are calling americans stupid and brainwashed!! stupid knows stupid. people like you is why this country will fall and the terrorists will take over and only then will you realize how wrong you are. be to late then. stupid
andy Jan 14th 2008 10:01PM
Gina,
The last time I checked, we were still a free people here in the U.S. - If you think it is so screwed up - either become part of the solution-or why not move?
Jessica Jan 4th 2008 11:04AM
Where exactly is the island/country anyway???
Near Austrailia?
Bob Jan 4th 2008 10:55AM
Gina, you have obviously made no real comparisons with other countries. If so, you would have realized that NO PLACE ELSE offers so much for its current and would-be citizens. YOU have clearly been brainwashed by the nay sayers and media. Sorry for your loss.
Thom Jan 4th 2008 12:26PM
It wasn't America which was responsible for this!!! It happened under British/Australian/New Zealand administration!!!
christblackman7 Jan 4th 2008 12:14PM
Here's the problem: most people just feel that America is the best place around because that's all they know. When pressed to defend that claim, they cite the tortures, wars, and the like from other lands. The actual fact is there is no greatest country. As an American, I can say this is probably one of the better places to be, but "greatest nation" and all that can be saved for one that doesn't rape other countries for their resources, leaving them high and dry; or one that doesn't overthrow other governments for their (the government's that is) own gain; or one that doesn't set forth new laws that can't possibly be passed unless a catastrophic event were to take place , making said law a necessity (the Patriot Act was created and developed merely weeks before the 9/11 attacks and Rumsfeld stated said the words "catastrophic event") ; or one where skin is not a factor.
There is no greatest. America is an empire such as Rome, China, and Persia (Iran) were. And all empires fall eventually. Unfortunately, we're coming close to the end of our 200 year window...
I believe in what Gina said. And this has nothing to do with right-wing, left-wing, moderate, or whatever. This is about right and wrong. I mean we are involved in a "War on Terror... and against religious extremists." Wasn't THIS country founded by religious extremists? I mean we came here, killed the Natives, took them off their land, called them godless savages, and took over. Wouldn't YOU feel like flipping the hell out if someone did that to you in YOUR home? And the westerners didn't even have to bring in guns to kill them. I mean we called everyone savages, when we didn't know to wash up on a DAILY basis until the time of the crusades. We brought so many diseases to the lands we invaded, it's a wonder we're still here and tolerated. Look up the facts, don't just speak from your brainwashed state. You don't have to agree with me, but the truth is the truth.
How many of the people who posted here know about Shell island? Read about that, where it is located, the indigenous tribes that have been decimated due to its establishment and then tell me that America is the land of the free, home of the brave. It's more like "the land of the thief, home of the slave" - KRS ONE
I will say this to Gina, my mother always told me "if you're not going to do anything about it, you don't have a right to complain." Real talk. I'm doing my work with less complaining. What are you doing to make a change?
walter Jan 4th 2008 11:20AM
lets change the subject, Last week I saw a man riding a bike while talking on a cellphone. he was weaving back and forth steering with one hand.this jerk went thru a red light cut off a car and almost got hit by another one. And never stopped talking. beat that.
christblackman7 Jan 4th 2008 5:50PM
Here's the problem: most people just feel that America is the best place around because that's all they know. When pressed to defend that claim, they cite the tortures, wars, and the like from other lands. The actual fact is there is no greatest country. As an American, I can say this is probably one of the better places to be, but "greatest nation" and all that can be saved for one that doesn't rape other countries for their resources, leaving them high and dry; or one that doesn't overthrow other governments for their (the government's that is) own gain; or one that doesn't set forth new laws that can't possibly be passed unless a catastrophic event were to take place , making said law a necessity (the Patriot Act was created and developed merely weeks before the 9/11 attacks and Rumsfeld stated said the words "catastrophic event") ; or one where skin is not a factor.
There is no greatest. America is an empire such as Rome, China, and Persia (Iran) were. And all empires fall eventually. Unfortunately, we're coming close to the end of our 200 year window...
I believe in what Gina said. And this has nothing to do with right-wing, left-wing, moderate, or whatever. This is about right and wrong. I mean we are involved in a "War on Terror... and against religious extremists." Wasn't THIS country founded by religious extremists? I mean we came here, killed the Natives, took them off their land, called them godless savages, and took over. Wouldn't YOU feel like flipping the hell out if someone did that to you in YOUR home? And the westerners didn't even have to bring in guns to kill them. I mean we called everyone savages, when we didn't know to wash up on a DAILY basis until the time of the crusades. We brought so many diseases to the lands we invaded, it's a wonder we're still here and tolerated. Look up the facts, don't just speak from your brainwashed state. You don't have to agree with me, but the truth is the truth.
How many of the people who posted here know about Shell island? Read about that, where it is located, the indigenous tribes that have been decimated due to its establishment and then tell me that America is the land of the free, home of the brave. It's more like "the land of the thief, home of the slave" - KRS ONE
I will say this to Gina, my mother always told me "if you're not going to do anything about it, you don't have a right to complain." Real talk. I'm doing my work with less complaining. What are you doing to make a change?