Nauru

Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation and once had extensive phosphate reserves that were formed from a combination of limestone and bird droppings. Mining activities have now depleted the phosphate reserves, destroyed most of the soil and vegetation on the island and rendered 80% of the island uninhabitable. With greatly diminished income from mining and limited agricultural prospects, Nauru relies on foreign aid to survive. There is plenty of marine life in the area, but the waters are considered too dangerous for diving. Few tourists visit Nauru, but the giant pits and pinnacles of the phosphate mining sites (often described as a moonscape) can be an interesting sight.